Sky High Club
by Hoodies and Leather
Summary: What happens when you take a jock dropout who's stranded in the woods during winter and add a stoner on roller skates? You're about to find out.
1. Stranded

**There is a very distinct lack of Jake/Drew goodness on this site. Actually, there's a distinct lack of them EVERYWHERE! I'm changing that right now. ENJOY!**

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"Perfect. Just perfect. Can my day get any worse?" Drew cursed as he tried in futility to get his car to start.

His head fell back hard against his seat. He was exhausted from trudging back and forth through the thickening sheet of snow on the ground to check on his engine. For all he knew, he may have ended up making the situation worse. He wasn't as well versed in cars as he'd like others to believe.

He took in a shaky breath as the cold bit into him through his layers of clothing. He rubbed his arm to gain some warmth while glaring at the lack of bars on his cell phone.

"This is just fantastic, Drew." he said to himself, "You've survived being the target of a gang of maniacs, been a part of a legit fight club and survived the wrath of your mom on countless occasions.. only to freeze to death here because you were too much of a dipshit to get gas on the way back home."

As much as he wanted to blame this mishap on his concussion, he knew he would most likely have made the same mistake anyway.

"Be nice if I actually knew where I was."

Drew stepped out of his car and surveyed the area. All that seemed to surround him was trees, snow and nothingness. It was quickly approaching night time. It got dark at no later than 5 this time of the year and the thick cloud cover didn't help matters any.

A light in the distance caught Drew's attention around the third time his gaze went through. At first, he thought it had to be too far off to be of any help, but then he realized it was much closer.

"Wait.. why does that light look so familiar?"

He glanced around again and it started to become clear that this place wasn't as foreign to him as he thought. He was right by Jake Martin's cabin.

He hoped to god that someone was there and he wasn't just hallucinating or that someone forgot to turn the light off the last time they were there. At the very least, he'd have a warm place to stay for now.

He locked up his car and he began his trek through the woods. Everything looked so different when it was covered in snow compared to the way it was during their end-of-summer getaway last year.

After stumbling over rocks and patches of ice, he made it to the clearing where the cabin was located.

A tidal wave of relief swept over Drew as the first thing he noticed was Jake's bright red pick-up parked in the glow emanating from inside the house.

Shivering uncontrollably now, he made his way to the door and knocked. A few stray noises reached his ears, none of which were footsteps. He worried for a second that something strange was going on.

Before he had the chance to dwell on it, the door swung open.

"Drew? What are you doing here?" Jake asked, squinting down at him.

"Jake, thank god you're here! M-My car broke down on the, the road over there.." He waved his arm frantically in the direction where his car was stalled. It was impossible to hide how cold he was. His whole body was shaking and he could barely speak.

"Okay, okay. Just get inside, you're gonna freeze to death." Jake moved aside to let Drew in. "You must've been out there for a long time."

Jake couldn't invite him in fast enough. Drew stood near the entrance with his arms wrapped around himself for a few minutes to 'thaw' himself out before he slipped out of his shoes.

"Nah, n-not really. It's.. it's fine." Drew stammered.

He flinched when Jake clumsily rested the back of his hand against the side of his face.

"Dude, seriously, you're cold as fuck."

Drew was slightly weirded out by the sudden contact, but he'd be lying if he didn't enjoy the warmth of Jake's hand against his face.

"You sure you're alright?" Jake slowly rolled around in front of Drew on his skates. Drew raised his eyebrows upon noticing that Jake actually was in roller skates and that he was the size of a skyscraper in them.

Drew stared blankly up at him for a few seconds, briefly forgetting what he asked. "Uhh, yeah.. just cold.."

"Well sit down, man. Make yourself at home!" Jake gestured to the couch. Drew sat down, still clutching onto himself. Jake rolled over to the closet and returned with a puffy white blanket and tossed it over Drew.

"Thanks." Drew arched his brow, "So.. why are you wearing roller skates, exactly?"

Jake smirked, "Because roller skates are the shit!" He started giggling uncontrollably.

"Good to know!" Drew chuckled and wrapped the blanket around himself, desperately trying to rid himself of the perpetual chill in his body. He watched as Jake rolled into the kitchen and began preparing something out of sight.

He didn't care for the silence, but he was so focused on warming himself up, he couldn't think of much to talk about. After a few minutes, Jake returned with a cup of steaming hot cocoa.

"Jake, you didn't have to-"

"What, you think I'm gonna let you just sit here shivering all night?" Jake flashed him a warm smile and sat down right beside Drew, leaving almost no room between them.

"Thanks, man." Drew took a sip of the hot beverage. Its steaming contents instantly breaking through the cold that's taken over his body.

"Do you ever just.." Jake started, then paused for a second and laughed. His eyes staring straight ahead and half-lidded. "Ha. Never mind."

"No, what were you going to ask?" Drew looked at him curiously.

Jake continued to stare out into space for a minute, then turned to Drew. "What? Oh! Uhh.. I dunno. Do you ever just.. wish other people felt differently about things than they do? Like, you know.. so they could give you what you want or so you can be on the same page as them?"

Drew furrowed his brows at the random question, "Uhh, yeah, all the time, actually."

Jake laid his head back and breathed out a deep sigh. He was sitting so close to Drew, he could feel every movement Jake's body made through the blanket. Normally Drew would be uncomfortable with the lack of personal space he had, but a part of him didn't mind being so close to Jake.

"How did you get stranded way out here?"

Drew turned to see Jake's attention was fully focused on him now.

"Oh, umm.. I needed to get out for a while." Drew stared morosely into his emptying cup of cocoa. "Bianca and I ended things."

Jake sat up suddenly, "Oh man, Drew, I'm so sorry."

"It'll be okay. She just needs time to absorb the news."

"The news?" Jake scrunched his forehead.

"Yeah, that I didn't see things working out for us." Drew sipped more cocoa.

"Oh, well, if you need to talk about things, I'm here for you." Jake gave Drew a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks." He responded quietly. "What about you, what are you doing out here by yourself?"

Jake snickered, "Actually, it's not too different from why you're here. I came here to blow off some steam. Katie's been driving me crazy lately."

Drew looked down, "I'm sorry, Jake."

Jake shrugged, "Eh, what are you gonna do?"

"Guess tonight's not our lucky night, huh?"

"Guess not, but it could be a lot worse, right?" Jake reclined back to his original position, lightly brushing his hand against Drew's.

"Shit, you still haven't warmed up yet?" Jake said, noting how cold Drew's touch felt. Before he could say anything, Jake's hands were clasped around Drew's.

"You don't have t-" Drew began to protest, but his resistance faltered once he felt how warm Jake's hands were. Instead, he fell back and allowed Jake to warm his hands up, not giving much thought to how unusual this all was.

"That feel better?" Jake's voice was low and quiet, almost like a whisper.

"Yeah.." Drew responded in much the same way. He would've loved to keep going along with this, but his curiosity was bugging the hell out of him.

"Jake, uhh, you seem different tonight. Are you feeling okay?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, the skates for one thing. I mean, I had no idea you were such a skate enthusiast." Drew chuckled, "And, I dunno, you just seem ..chill."

Jake laughed, "Well, if you must know.." Jake released Drew's hand, but it still rested gently on it.

Jake reached under the seat of the couch and pulled out a good sized bag of marijuana.

"Weed?" Drew asked, almost incredulously.

Jake smiled wide, "Yup! Hope that's not a problem."

Drew eyed the bag curiously, "Actually, I was thinking I'd join the sky high club with you."

Jake's smile grew even wider, as if this was the moment he'd been waiting his whole life for. "I'll go get the pipe."

A thin veil of gray permeated the room within a few minutes.

Drew passed the pipe and the lighter to Jake, "I'm not feeling anything."

"Give it a few more minutes." He said as he grabbed the items from Drew's hand.

"Well, I am starting to feel a little more relaxed."

"There you go," Jake paused to toke up, "It's kicking in."

The two were sitting on the couch as they had before, but were now basically full-on leaning against each other. Drew found himself enjoying any physical contact he had with Jake more and more as the night went on. He took every opportunity to touch Jake as much as he could without him finding it suspicious. Although, with the way the night's been going, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

He felt himself get harder each time their hands grazed when they passed the pipe back and forth or whenever he felt Jake's body vibrate against him each time he spoke.

Suddenly he was more focused on Jake than how much he was smoking at a time.

"You know, Drew, I'm sorry about helping Katie get revenge on you."

"Huh?"

"Oh," he snickered, "That's right, you don't know about that. I helped Katie egg your house around the time we got together. Of course, that turned into her egging Bianca's car and fucking up the mirror."

Drew giggled, "Are you serious? That's hilarious!"

The two of them burst into an uncontrollable giggle fit.

"It- It was nothing against you, man, Katie's just insane." Jake explained, trying to catch his breath.

"No problem, dude. I think Bianca's the one you have to apologize to, if anyone. WHOA!"

Drew stood up suddenly, holding his head, "Whoa."

"You alright?" Jake asked, his expression flashing from joy to concern in an instant.

"I dunno, man. I feel kinda.. fucked up. My heart's pounding and I feel like I can't get enough air in me." Drew slowly backed against the wall.

Jake rose to his feet quickly, nearly toppling over after forgetting that he was still wearing his skates. "Okay, just stay calm. Keep breathing. You're gonna be fine. I think you just had a little too much too fast."

Jake rolled over to where Drew stood against the wall and placed his hands on his shoulders, caressing them gently and reassuringly. Drew's breathing was kind of ragged from anxiety.

"Y-You sure I'll be fine?" Drew asked worriedly, looking up at him.

"Positive. This happens to people sometimes, especially their first time getting high."

Drew scoffed, "Not my first time getting high."

"Well, shrooms are a bit different from weed." Jake smirked. His hand moving from caressing Drew's shoulder to lightly rubbing his back.

Drew bit his lip. He loved standing this close to Jake and feeling him rubbing up and down his back made it a million times better. The panic was still prevalent, though.

"It's all about keeping yourself distracted." Jake said quietly.

Drew couldn't resist anymore. He knew that nine times out of ten, Jake wouldn't reject him, given the situation and the way Jake has been acting all night. He stepped closer to the taller man and slid his arms around his waist tightly and rested his head against his shoulder.

Just as he thought, Jake didn't push him away. Instead, Jake's arms found their way around him too, with his hand reaching up to the back of Drew's head. Jake lightly ran his fingers through his dark hair.

"You're gonna be just fine." Jake said soothingly, "Just take it easy."

Jake could feel Drew's heart pounding against him and he honesly didn't want to let him go. He knew this was inappropriate and hoped to god that Drew wasn't uncomfortable with how forward he's been. He just wanted to hold him and protect him.

"Jake?" Drew's voice was muffled against him.

"Yeah, Drew?"

"Thanks for taking me in tonight. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead. No joke."

He let out a small chuckle, "No problem. Although you would've had one less panic attack tonight if it weren't for me."

Drew sighed deeply, "It's fine."

"Honestly, thank you, too." Jake said.

"What for?"

"For keeping me company."

Drew furrowed his brows, "Really? I figured you come here to be by yourself."

"I do. But sometimes I want to be with someone who gets me." Jake admits. Hearing that puts a smile on Drew's face.

After a moment, Jake breaks up the embrace and stares down at Drew.

"What's wrong?" Drew asks, wondering if he did something.

"Nothing at all." Jake gently lifts Drew's chin with his finger and dips down to softly plant his lips on Drew's. Drew stands up into the kiss as Jake straightens his stature.

Jake wraps his arms around Drew, pressing the other man's body against his own and nearly lifting him off his feet. He deepens the kiss by gently gliding his tongue into Drew's mouth and tasting his saliva.

Drew groans deeply into Jake's mouth. The action between them is sending shockwaves through his whole body and for the first time tonight, being cold was not an issue. What Jake was doing to him was actually making him sweat.

Jake notices Drew's ever hardening length bumping against his leg. He grins sheepishly, "Well, at least I know you're not uncomfortable."

"Huh?" Drew looks down and blushes when he sees that his throbbing boner has been inadvertantly grinding against Jake's leg. "Sorry."

"Why should you be? I think we're far past the point where we should be apologizing for bodily contact."

Jake was holding Drew close and staring straight into his eyes with an expression that was half humor and half seriousness. He loved the feeling of Jake's hot breath on his face.

"I really, really like this." Drew admitted, holding Jake's gaze.

"Me too." Jake tenderly traced his fingers up the side of Drew's face and through his hair, "So, is it safe to assume you're feeling better?"

Drew nodded, "Definitely."

"Good, now we have another problem to solve." Jake raised his eyebrows, a sly grin creeping on his face.

"What's that?"

Jake reached down and slid his hand into Drew's jeans, eliciting a very surprised response from Drew as his hand firmly grasped his rock hard cock.

"This one." Jake stated before he began rubbing the hard on.

"Oh god.." Drew moaned as he derived erotic pleasure from the sudden contact instantly. Jake's hands felt amazing around his length.

He's done stuff with girls plenty of times, but this was a whole new world unexplored to him. He's never felt sexual contact from a man before. Never someone who was taller than him and with such a masculine build. He wasn't used to feeling such large hands that were rough and strong holding his hands or touching areas under his clothes. Certainly never someone with such a deep, soothing voice, who has enough strength to lift him off his feet.

He never thought something like that would ever happen. But now it felt like it was more right than anything else.

A sexy smile spread across Jake's face as he watched Drew writhe in his grasp. "You like that, huh?"

It drove Drew crazy.

"Unhh. God, you're so fucking sexy.." He almost slapped his hand across his own mouth. Even if Jake was currently masturbating him and he even mentioned they were past the point of awkwardness, he still felt a little odd about it, since neither of them have said such things to the other yet.

"You're pretty fucking hot yourself." Jake replied. His grasp tightened and his pace quickened, prompting Drew to buck quicker and harder into Jake's hand.

Drew looked down. "Wait a second."

Jake stopped, "What is it?"

"Looks like you're about to put a hole through your pants, dude." He reached down and tugged at Jake's boner, which was now pitching a large tent in his jeans.

Jake grinned, "I have an idea."

Drew already liked where this was headed.

Drew leaned back against a small support pillar, his arms were firmly wrapped around Jake while Jake's were enclosed around him and the pillar to make sure neither of them would fall. Both guys feverishly unbuckled the other's belt and unbuttoned the other's pants as if they were presents on Christmas day. Eventually they stood in front of each other with their pants down to their knees, admiring the other's endowment.

Still in his skates, Jake rolled against Drew while he, in turn, pressed himself against the taller man as he collided into him. Their erections grinded against each other in full frontal friction. The two of them were far too busy groaning and panting to really say much other than utterances of each other's names or the occasional "Oh fuck!" and "GOD!"

Drew gasped and groaned each time Jake pinned him against the pillar. Sometimes Jake's thrusts were a little too strong, but that simply added to the eroticism for Drew. He loved the feeling of Jake slamming into him and being right up against him while he towered over him.

Drew could feel the heat and electricity rising in a hurry, but he wanted to milk this situation as long as he could. However, he couldn't hold it anymore. The release had been wanting out pretty much from the moment Drew saw Jake tonight.

"Jake, oh my god. Fucking ..CHRIST! I'm gonna lose it..!" Drew arched his back against Jake as he slid back and forth on him. Drew's dick burst cum all over the two of them and landed all around them. Each further grind from Jake intensifying the faltering waves of the intense orgasm.

Jake grunted as he stifled the oncoming burst of sexual pleasure from witnessing Drew ejaculate on him. The heat of the white fluid on his skin sent shockwaves down into him and he knew that he was about to blow.

He pushed harder against Drew, breathing heavily,"Almost there! Almost.. there!" Finally Jake's cock erupted a massive quantity of semen all over them and the surrounding area.

They both stood there for a while, panting and catching their breath, drenched in cum with sweat dripping off of them. They then fell into each other, holding one another up as they were both ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"That.. That was fucking.. brilliant." Drew uttered against Jake's chest, in between attempts to draw in a breath.

Jake chuckled, "That was hot as fuck. I've never.. ever.. felt anything like that."

Slowly, they pulled their pants up and headed for the couch, still clutching onto each other for dear life. They dropped down heavily onto the forgiving cushions,with Drew safely within Jake's grasp.

Soon their breathing slowed down and returned to normal.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"This isn't gonna be one of those situations where we pretend this never happened the next day, right?"

Jake laughed, "Are you kidding? This was the most fun I've ever had. I'd be a fucking moron to not want to do it again."

"Good, I feel the same way." Drew turned around and rested his head against Jake's chest.

"So, I guess it's almost time for you to drive me home?"

"Nah," Jake slid his arms around Drew.

"I was thinking it'd be a better idea if you spent the night."

* * *

**As of right now, I have no idea if this will be a continuing story or if I'm just going to leave it as is. I guess we'll see!**


	2. In The Cold

**Loving the positive feedback and loving the couple too much to not continue this story, so here you go. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

The next day was a painfully awkward endeavor, much to Jake's horror. Instead of waking up in each other's arms and sharing their first 'good morning' kiss, Jake woke up on the couch alone, which instantly soured his mood.

That's not to say that he's clingy and that he expected Drew to remain in his arms until he woke up, but he had a feeling this entailed what he had been so afraid of.

As expected, Drew was acting distant, as if he'd never seen Jake before in his life, much less got off with him the night before.

Jake mirrored the distant demeanor for a completely different reason. The ride home was almost completely in silence. Drew stared out the window. Jake caught a glimpse of his reflection. Drew had this mournful look on his face like he'd just made the biggest mistake of his life. Seeing that made Jake feel sick to his stomach.

"Here you go." Jake announced as they arrived at Fiona's apartment. It felt like it took an absurd amount of energy and nerve to bring himself to speak at all, but he didn't want to make this anymore awkward than it already was.

"Thanks for the ride," Drew said hesitantly, exiting the truck.

_"Because that's the only thing you should be thanking me for,"_ Jake thought bitterly.

"Umm, do you need any help getting your car from my cabin?" At this point, Jake was only trying to be polite. He may not like how Drew is acting right now, but that didn't mean he wanted to leave his car stranded.

"Oh, no, my dad's gonna help with that, but thanks anyway." Drew answered, refraining from making much eye contact.

Jake could tell he was making stuff up, but he was still relieved that Drew didn't ask for his help, "Okay. Well, good luck on that. See you in school." His voice was cold and robotic; decidedly very uncharacteristic of him. The words spilled out of his mouth in a hurry. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

"Yeah, see ya." Drew shut the truck door and headed across the street to Fiona's apartment building. Jake watched him walk away before pulling onto the street and back to his house.

He remained in a silent, pensive mood for the remainder of the weekend. Completely the opposite of how he had anticipated on spending it from the moment his and Drew's lips touched.

He slipped his hand down his pants in reaction to the thought, wishing it was Drew's hand instead of his own.

Within a week, things were back to normal at school. For Drew at least. Jake, on the other hand, didn't find it as easy to move on and pretend nothing happened. It didn't help that each time Drew saw Jake, he quick looked away or moved to avoid him as if he were about to kill him.

The 'time heals all wounds' concept simply wasn't working here. Jake made it his mission to get Drew alone and talk things out. Surely he can't expect Jake to just go on like nothing happened.

Jake saw his opportunity when he noticed Drew heading for the parking lot during his free period. He quickly followed him.

"Hey!" Jake shouted as he ran to catch up to him. He wasn't going to let him get away this time.

Drew jumped a little, "Oh! Hey." He replied awkwardly.

Jake furrowed his brows, "Relax. It's me, Jake. Or don't you remember me? It's hard to tell anymore." He was doing nothing to hold back the hurt and irritation he felt. He wanted to make his feelings perfectly clear.

"Of course I remember you, you jus-"

"Then why the hell have you been acting like I don't exist lately? And pretending that what we did last Friday never happened?" Jake interrupted, his temper flaring. His pain was starting to surface as anger all at once.

Drew shushed him, "You trying to get the whole world in on this?" He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention.

"Look, Jake, I'm not saying I regret what we did, okay?"

Jake rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Oh, here we go."

"Seriously, I liked it and I'm not going to blame you or the weed or anything else. I take full responsibility, but what we did - what I did - it's not really _me_."

"What the fuck is that supposed to even mean?" Jake had a hard time taking what Drew was saying seriously. He thought it was all bullshit excuses.

"It means that I didn't know what I wanted. I was fucked up, confused."

"So, you take full responsibility, but yet you're blaming it on being confused and 'fucked up'." Jake echoed back incredulously. "I don't even know what to say to that."

"I'm sorry, Jake." Drew attempted to rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but Jake backed away.

"You know what, Drew? You were the one who said you hoped this wouldn't turn out to be one of those things that change over night and become awkward, as if _I_ was gonna be the one to pull this shit." Jake's body was trembling with anger now and he struggled to keep his voice steady.

Drew looked up at Jake, shame and remorse written all over his face as Jake's eyes shot lasers down at him. "Maybe you should get your shit together before you end you screwing with peoples' minds."

"Jake, I'm sorry. I really am. Please believe me. I just want things to go back to normal. I was hoping we could just be friends again."

Jake scoffed and pushed past Drew without saying a word.

Drew threw his head back in defeat and regretfully watch Jake walk away from him.

* * *

"Uh oh," Fiona said as she entered the apartment, noticing Drew sulking in front of the TV, "is all not right in Drew's world?"

"It's nothing." He answered, keeping his focus on the TV.

"What? Did Bianca catch you borrowing one of her shirts?" Fiona snickered.

Drew slammed the remote down and stood up, "I'm outta here."

"Drew! Come on, I was joking!" She grabbed his arm and yanked him back. "I'm sorry! Come on, have a seat." She patted on the seat next to her. Drew complied and sat next to her.

"Now, tell Dr. Fiona what's wrong."

"Well, for starters, Bianca and I aren't together anymore."

Fiona frowned, "Oh no! Drew, I'm so sorry. You guys were so perfect together. What happened? Did you guys have a fight? Because if that's the case then-"

"No, it was nothing like that." Drew stopped her and paused for a minute, fumbling over what to say next. "God, this is so weird."

Fiona gave him an odd look, "Okay. Cryptic. Don't leave me hanging here."

Drew sighed, "The thing is, I don't feel like I'm.. into girls as much as I thought I was."

Shock flashed over Fiona's face. Drew could see it, despite completely averting his gaze from her.

"Oh my god," Fiona gasped, "So, you're.."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am."

"Wow! I mean, usually this is the part where one says something like, 'I have no idea what you're going through right now', but I actually know _exactly_ what you're going through."

"Yeah? So you hooked up with a girl right after breaking up with your boyfriend, too?"

Fiona's eyes widened, "Oh. My. God!" Fiona instantly went into fangirl mode, "Who was it? Okay, tell me everything! How cute is he? Oh! Does he go to our school?"

"Fiona!"

"Sorry, it's just.. exciting!" She squealed, "But, you're right. First things first. How did Bianca take the news?"

"Well, she was shocked, of course. I haven't really heard much from her. I figured I'll give her some space to soak it in."

"Right. I mean, it was a big enough shock for me, so I can only imagine how she's feeling."

"Yeah, I just hope me and her can still be friends."

"Don't worry, she'll come around." Fiona patted his knee, "So, is that what's got you so upset?"

"Not all of it." Drew stared down into his lap.

"Does it have to do with the mystery guy?"

Drew nodded, "When my car broke down a couple weeks ago, that's when we hooked up. After that, I freaked out and blew him off, err.. I mean I told him I wasn't really interested in that way. I hurt him pretty bad."

"So, do you just feel bad for hurting him or do you think you really have feelings for him?" Fiona asked, "Wait a minute. How did you find a guy to hook up with when you were stranded over by.." Fiona's eyes bugged out and she stood up, covering her mouth, "Oh.. Oh! The guy you hooked up with was-"

Drew turned red upon realizing he let on a little too much information.

"Fiona..." He stood up with her.

"Jake!?" She shouted, "You and Jake Martin!?"

"This stays between us!"

Fiona put her hands up in surrender, "Absolutely! I won't tell a soul!"

"Not even Imogen!" He added, pointing at her.

"You got it! I won't say a word!"

"Okay. Thanks, Fiona." Drew sat back down, "What do you think I should do? I messed up big time."

Fiona sat next to him, "Yeah, you kinda did, but Jake seems like the forgiving type. I'm sure he'd understand if you told him how you feel. How _do_ you feel, by the way? About him, I mean."

Drew smiled, "I like him. A lot."

"Must've been quite a night you had with him to make you feel that way so fast."

"It was."

"Well, make sure he knows that. Oh, by the way, if it doesn't seem like your apology is working at first, don't give up. Give him some time. It might take a while if he's as hurt as you said he was."

"No doubt about that." Drew sighed deeply, recalling the very obvious pain he saw in Jake's eyes.

* * *

Jake flipped through several channels, frustrated with the fact that nothing good seemed to be on.

He groaned, "Maybe I should've just went with them."

His dad, Helen and Clare went out to see a movie. He opted out in favor of having some alone time, but now he was so bored that he was regretting his decision. He couldn't even bring himself to use his weed as a form of entertainment; it reminded him too much of what happened at the cabin.

Jake's attention was stolen by a suspicious looking hooded figure pacing back and forth in front of the house. He cautiously got up and walked to the window to take a closer look. He recognized the person instantly.

"Drew? What the hell?" He asked, as if Drew could hear him.

Jake threw a coat on and headed out the door.

"Is there a reason why you're walking around in my front yard?" Jake asked impatiently as he approached Drew.

"Jake! Umm.." Drew fumbled around for what to say. Jake raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"Uh, Jake, we need to talk." He stated after collecting himself.

"Oh, so _now_ we need to talk?" Jake glared at him like he was being absurd. "Sorry. Not interested." He turned back to the house, but Drew jumped in front of him.

"Wait! Jake, please give me a chance to explain. Please." He locked his eyes with Jake's, hoping that would help convince him to give him a few minutes of his time. The look in Jake's eyes conveyed so much distrust that he lost a little hope that this would work.

Jake walked over to a bench sitting in the yard. Drew took that as a cue to follow him and start talking.

"I was scared, Jake. I never felt this way about anyone before, much less another guy. We did so much in just one night and by the next day, I was worried that this was gonna be a passing thing and that it wasn't what I really wanted."

Drew appreciated the fact that Jake wasn't interrupting or yelling at him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Jake while he talked, so he could only hope that he was listening.

"It took me a while, but I realized how much things suck when you're hating me. And that night at the cabin ended up being one of the best nights of my life. I was thinking about myself, yeah, but I also had you in mind. Part of the reason why I freaked out is because I didn't want to string you along. I didn't want to hurt you."

Drew anticipated the harsh response he deserved from Jake. The criticism, the name calling, being called out for bullshitting him. It never came. Jake remained silent, wanting to hear him out. His hard stare softened as he found it difficult to stay mad at him.

"And, despite all that, I still hurt you and I probably lost any chance I had with you." Drew stared down at his folded hands laying in his lap. Hot tears involuntarily welled up in his eyes, which Jake noticed.

"No, you didn't." Jake broke his silence and wrapped his arm around Drew's shoulder, pulling him in.

Drew clung to the other man and silently sobbed into his chest. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm an idiot. I didn't mean to-"

"Sshhh.." Jake rubbed Drew's back. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Drew's voice was muffled against Jake.

"Yes, it is." Jake assured him, entangling his fingers through the other boy's dark hair. "And yeah, it did hurt pretty damn bad to be rejected by you the morning after we poured our hearts out to each other, but that's because I care about you."

"But you were so pissed off at me. I mean, I understand why, but.." Drew wasn't about to question Jake's generosity, but he wanted to make sure Jake was truly forgiving him.

"I was. I thought you were gonna be one of those guys who experiments with another guy and then kicks him to the curb when it becomes awkward. Obviously that's not the case here, is it?" Jake smiled down at him, still rubbing his back, "It took balls for you to come here and tell me what's going on. I forgive you. I know you were scared. So just relax, okay?"

"Thanks, Jake." Drew sniffled, his sobs subsiding.

"Come on, let's go inside. No reason for us to freeze out here."

Their lips collided the instant they reached Jake's room. The kiss felt so long-awaited, like they had finally been reunited after spending decades apart. The contact warmed their bodies up from the cold in an instant.

"You know, for a while, I didn't think I was gonna get the chance to do this again." Jake grinned ear to ear before giving Drew a few quick pecks on the lips.

"Me either." Drew gasped as Jake's lips sent chills down his spine. "I thought that my stupid fears fucked up any chances I'd have with you."

"Hey," Jake gently cupped Drew's face in his hands and looked deep in his eyes, "Your fears aren't stupid, alright?" He leaned down and kissed Drew on the forehead.

"If you feel scared about anything, just let me know. I'll make you feel safe again."

"Scared is the last thing I'm feeling right now," Drew answered softly, mesmerized by the boy standing in front of him. Jake gently kissed a path from his temple to his mouth.

Drew wrapped his arms around Jake's waist and pulled the two of them closer together while their tongues danced in each other's mouths.

Their closeness was making them both hard as steel. They were well aware of this as their bodies made contact, but neither of them were willing to break the kiss to comment on it.

Jake's leg was situated between Drew's. He could feel the warmth from his leg as it occasionally grinded against his crotch, causing him to groan eagerly into the kiss. This elicited a smile from Jake and he began to consciously grind into him, gaining more friction each time.

"Unh.. Jake.." Drew panted. Pre-cum began to soak through his jeans. "I can't take it anymore. I want you to fuck me. Now."

Jake stopped kissing and stared down at the shorter boy, "Beg."

"What?" Drew seemed to briefly forget what the word meant.

"Beg for it." Jake commanded, exhibiting a sly grin. It was the only warning he gave before he began sliding his hips aggressively against Drew, pushing him against the wall and giving his crotch full-on contact. Jake also reached back and firmly cupped Drew's ass.

"Oh, god. Fuck!" Drew squirmed in Jake's hold. He knew Jake was trying to tease him, but he was so incredibly turned on right now that he knew he wasn't going to last much longer like this.

"P-Please, Jake. Fuck me hard!" He gasped, "Please. I'm going insane." He grabbed hold of Jake's shoulders.

"Are you? I don't think you want it bad enough." Jake said in a calm, cool demeanor. A direct contrast to Drew who was melting within Jake's grasp.

"Yes I do! I want it so fucking bad!" Drew pleaded. Jake hovered over Drew, but Drew wouldn't even dare make eye contact with him. The fact that he could feel Jake's hot breath on his face was already enough to make him bite his lip in sexual frustration.

"How bad?" Jake asked.

"So _FUCKING_ bad!" Drew squinted his eyes shut. "I want you to fuck me harder than I've ever been fucked before!"

Jake laughed, "Didn't know you'd been fucked before, Torres."

"Dammit, you know what I mean. I can't think straight while you're torturing me."

"I don't think any of us are thinking straight right now, honestly." Jake chuckled before wiping a thin veil of sweat off Drew's forehead.

The boys began pulling articles of clothing off of each other and throwing them aside as they made their way to Jake's bed. Jake rested his full weight down on Drew, resuming their kissing. They gripped each others hands, entwining their fingers together.

"Are you ready?" Jake was more than eager to get started, but he wanted to make sure that Drew was totally in this without a doubt.

"God, yes." Drew whispered. That was all Jake needed to know.

Jake flipped Drew over and slowly inserted one of his fingers into Drew's entrance. Drew hummed as Jake's finger slid deeper into him and stretched him out. A few seconds later, he inserted a second finger to finish the job.

Drew sighed with resistance, but then relaxed into it.

"That feel alright?" Jake asked.

"Yeah." Drew breathed out.

"Okay, here we go." Jake placed his hands on Drew's hips and the tip of his cock at Drew's entrance.

Drew shuddered as he felt Jake's cock about to penetrate him. The unexpected sensation of Jake pushing himself in took his breath away.

Slowly, Jake began thrusting in and out. Both of them grunted loudly in rhythm with the thrusts, loving every second of it.

Drew rested his head on his arm, admiring the fact that Jake's erection felt massive inside of him. It sent dizzying shockwaves through every fiber of his being as he moved back and forth.

Jake tilted his head back. The friction of Drew's tightness around him caused an intense amount of heat to pool in his crotch. It felt amazing and he couldn't get enough of it. He bit his lip. His overwhelming urges compelled him to pick up the pace before he lost his mind. When he complied, Drew elicited a deep groan and a shaky gasp as a response.

"You like that?" Jake asked with satisfaction.

"Fuck yes." Drew hissed.

Jake's breathing hitched as he began pumping harder and faster, avidly searching for a certain spot that he knows Drew would appreciate being found.

"Oh.. FUCK!"

Looks like he found it.

Jake chuckled, "Knew you'd like that." From that point on, Jake made sure to repeatedly hit Drew's sweet spot. Drew was basically rendered helpless at this point.

"And don't think I forgot about this.." Jake reached down and wrapped his hand around Drew's leaking boner which was now throbbing in his grip.

"Fucking Christ, Jake. You're killing me." Drew said as he was now being pounded from every direction.

"I hope you mean that in a good way."

"The best way." Drew corrected.

Jake's fist pumped up and down, seemingly at light speed. Drew's hot precum was dripping over his hand. He felt Drew arch his back into him and he knew he was about to lose his load. He pumped and thrusted Drew faster and harder now, knowing the release was so close.

"Oh my god, Jake. Keep-Keep going!"

"Fuck.. FUCK!" Jake felt himself explode inside Drew, filling him up with his hot cum. He slammed himself hard against him with each shot.

Drew bucked his hips into Jake's hand as he felt the other boy unload into him and get in a few finishing thrusts. The hot fluid shooting inside of him was more than enough to finally push him completely over the edge. He couldn't bring himself to utter a single word before busting out his own load on himself and Jake's hand.

They remained in that position for a moment, gasping for precious air before collapsing into each other. Both of them covered in sweat and semen. They clung to each other, still too busy panting heavily to make conversation.

"That was pretty fucking amazing, Martin."

Jake smiled big, "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

"No," Drew shook his head, "Nothing like this."

"Well, you're a natural."

Drew pushed away some of the hair that was matted to Jake's forehead with sweat, "I learn from the best."

Jake gathers Drew up in his arms and kisses his neck. "I never want this to end," He whispered.

"It doesn't have to." Drew answered, "I promise I won't act like I did last time. I'm never gonna jeopardize what I've got with you. I feel like the luckiest guy on earth."

They stared into each other, refusing to so much as blink.

"I feel the same way," Jake whispered, "Stay here tonight?"

Drew wanted to, but he was also aware that they weren't in the privacy and seclusion of Jake's cabin, "What about-"

"They won't mind." Jake interrupted, knowing exactly what was going through Drew's mind, "They won't even suspect anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Jake looked down at him and ran his fingers through his hair, "I don't wanna sound clingy or anything, but I really missed you."

"I missed you too." Drew held him a little tighter, remembering that up until recently, he wasn't sure how Jake would take his apology and that he could just as easily still be out in the cold both figuratively and literally. He knew he could never accurately describe how thankful he was to have a second chance, "Spending the night sounds pretty great, actually. It's not like it'd be the first time, though."

"First time without getting high beforehand." Jake pointed out.

Drew laughed, "That's true. Speaking of which, I suggest we do that again sometime."

Jake's face lit up, "Really? You still wanna do that after what happened last time?"

"Last time? Oh, the panic attack thing? Didn't you say that happens to a lot of first timers?"

"Yeah, it's just that a lot of people I got high with that had a panic attack the first time didn't trust me when I told them that."

"I trust you." Drew said reassuringly, "And anyway, it doesn't matter. I know that I'll be fine as long as you're there. Last time I was freaking out, you took my mind off it right away. I'd say that's pretty impressive."

It actually meant the world to Jake to hear Drew say that, but he didn't feel it was appropriate to pour on the sap so soon and scare him off.

"Well, good," Jake started, sitting up, "I think next weekend we should take a trip back up to my cabin. Lots of privacy." He said with a wink.

"Privacy's good!" Drew still felt a little awkward about sleeping over at Jake's while they were in the company of people who were very unaware that they were up to more than talking about cars and sports.

"I agree!" Jake wasn't too keen on it, either, but a part of him enjoyed the thrill of secrecy.

"I think we better get cleaned up and make ourselves presentable." He said, "As much as I enjoy you in the buff, I think that might be a tip off to the others as to why you're really staying the night."

"Yeah, you're right." Drew would've preferred to just lay in Jake's arms all night.

Jake got up and headed for the bathroom door. "You coming? I'm a big supporter of water conservation, you know."


	3. Staying Power

Jake shot up in bed, breathing heavily to supply his deprived lungs with precious oxygen. He was absolutely soaked in cold sweat from a nightmare that had been plaguing him off and on since he and Drew reconciled.

It's always been one of Jake's more prominent fears to lose someone he loves and cares about. Ever since Drew has become one of those people, he's had numerous nightmares in which Drew leaves him without explanation, disappears without a trace or worse.

Jake ran a trembling hand through his hair, relieved that it was once again only a nightmare and Drew was sleeping next to him, safe and sound.

He quietly got out of bed and snuck to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water to rehydrate himself and collect his thoughts.

"Jake?"

Jake nearly sprang off the couch.

"What's going on?" Drew asked, his voice scratchy from having just woken up.

"Oh, uh nothing." Jake said glumly, "You should go back to sleep."

"Not until you tell me what's up," Drew said sternly, "You seem upset."

He sat down next to Jake, "And uhh, sweaty." He said, noticing the moisture on Jake's forehead, "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine, it was just a bad dream." Jake scrunched his eyebrows, averting eye contact with Drew.

Drew found the sight slightly unsettling. He didn't think it was possible for Jake to look so scared and distraught. Defeated, even. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Must've been quite a nightmare."

"It was nothing." Jake smiled, "Not important at all."

He leaned over and wrapped his arms tightly around Drew who returned the embrace right away.

"I'm really glad you're here with me." Jake whispered.

Drew could really sense the fear in Jake's voice. The poor guy must've had an awful nightmare to shake him up this much. "There's no place I'd rather be."

Jake was silent except for his soft breathing. Drew took this as him simply not wanting to talk about the dream, which he was fine with.

"Hey, what do you say we go back to bed?"

Jake nodded, "Yeah, sure."

The two stood up and Drew led them back to the bedroom. They crawled into bed and Drew cradled Jake securely in his arms. Jake didn't protest to their change in position, in fact, he was more than welcome to it.

The alarm blared in the early hours of the morning.

Jake jolted as the intrusive noise broke him from his sleep. He reached up and grabbed the clock to glance at the time.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late."

His eyes were red from exhaustion and his hair was disheveled, but to Drew, he couldn't fail to look flawless.

Jake smiled bashfully once he noticed he was being watched.

"I know I don't look the greatest in the morning, but-"

"Oh, shut up, you look great and you know it."

"I can always count on you for an ego boost."

"You got that right." Drew got up and began getting dressed, "You seem like you're in a better mood this morning than you were last night. That's good."

Jake's demeanor fell into a serious tone. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was just being weird last night."

"You don't have to apologize or even explain yourself. If you're ever feeling down for whatever reason, just let me know and I'll make you feel better. It's the least I can do for you after all you've done for me."Drew gave him a lingering kiss.

Jake wanted to tell him what was on his mind, but he couldn't get the words to come out.

"You better get going. Don't wanna be late to school."

"You know, it's not the same without you there."

"At least someone misses me." Drew said cynically.

"Anyone who doesn't is an idiot." Jake walked over and gave Drew a hug and kissed his cheek. "Gotta go. I'll leave the door unlocked for you when I come back."

Jake and Drew decided on spending the weekend at the cabin, but neither of them could wait until after school on Friday to meet up, so they both made the trek to the cabin a day early. This meant having to wake up earlier to make it to school and work, but they agreed it was worth it. Of course, that also meant Jake would have to come up with a lie to tell his dad to explain where he'd be Friday night.

As Clare would say, 'Jake can get away with murder when it comes to his dad,' so convincing him wasn't a hard task.

* * *

"Is that a cold breeze blowing in from outside or has Satan himself graced us with his presence?" Marisol viciously greeted as she spotted Jake at his locker. Jake turned to see her crossing her arms as well as wearing the disdainful look on her face that she seemed so fond of.

"Nice to see you too, Marisol." Jake rolled his eyes and gathered books from his locker.

"Oh, I never said it was nice to see you." She snapped, "What is it with you jackasses that make you think you can treat my girl Katie like shit and get away with it?"

"What is it with you that makes you think that your girl Katie can do no wrong and that it's always the guy's fault when they break up with her?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Let's see, for about 90% of the time we dated, Katie's choice of topic centered around Drew, how much Drew fucked her over, how Drew is a scum bag, how Drew has made her realize that the entire male population is shit.. shall I go on?"

"Right.. and I suppose it's Katie's fault that Drew played with her emotions and had sex with her when he had already went back to the slutty boiler room queen?"

"No, but she sure tried to make it seem like it was my fault. Always bitching at me about it, not even trusting me to be in the same room as another girl if she's not around to supervise."

Marisol laughed incredulously, "You're a trip, Martin. Hard to believe there was ever a time I thought you were a halfway decent guy. The way you stood up for Mo when I was suspicious of him-"

"Unfounded distrust. No wonder you and Katie are besties!" Jake turned away from Marisol, hoping she'd eventually leave him alone.

"And how you seemed so perfect for Katie because you treated her right. It was all an act."

"Awesome. You done now? I think I've reached my quota of being bitched at for one day."

"Oh, you haven't seen the worst of it yet."

"Well, I'm terrified." Jake smirked to complement the sarcasm dripping from his words. Marisol was not amused. Before she could utter another threat, Fiona approached them.

"Hey Marisol, I heard the goth mullet convention was coming to town, shouldn't you and Katie be on your way there on your tacky broom?"

Marisol shot her a glare, "That's rich coming from you, Fiona." She raised a hand to her mouth in mock surprise, "Oh, sorry, I should really reconsider my choice of words. It's probably too soon, right?"

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, I may not have my money, but at least I still have my class."

Marisol folded her arms, "Is that right?"

"Sure is." Fiona flashed a bitchy smile, "If there's anything I've learned, it's that class can't be bought. You either got it or you don't. And you're obviously the latter."

Jake stifled a laugh as he watched the two girls go at it. All Marisol could do is cross her arms and glare at Fiona.

"Now shoo!" Fiona waved her hands at Marisol until she admitted defeat and walked away, but not before she gave Fiona and Jake the one finger salute.

"Ugh. She is _such_ a hag!"

"No kidding. Ever since Katie and I broke up.." Jake stopped, noticing Fiona grinning madly. "What are you so happy about?"

"Okay, okay, don't get mad at Drew, but.. he told me everything!"

Jake feigned ignorance, "Everything? Everything about what?"

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about, Jake Martin!"

He chuckled, "It's not that big of a deal, Fiona."

"Of course it's a big deal! I mean, you guys are adorable together and you make Drew really happy."

Jake stopped in his tracks and looked at Fiona, "Really? He said that?"

"Always. And not only that, but he acts a lot happier too."

Jake felt as if he'd made the greatest accomplishment in the world. "That's actually pretty amazing."

"And just so you know, you're welcome at my place anytime. Well - _our_ place, I should say."

"Thanks, Fiona. I really appreciate that."

"Don't mention it!" Fiona beams, "And if the gloom twins give you anymore trouble, you know where to find me. I'll be more than happy to put them in their place!"

Jake laughed, "I'll keep that in mind." He was just thankful to have at least one person on their side.

* * *

Drew headed for the bedroom of the cabin when he didn't immediately find Jake in the living room. There he found him sprawled out on the bed.

"Rough day?" He asked, noticing Jake's evident exhaustion.

"Nah, just long." Jake yawned, "Didn't help that I had an annoying pest following me through the halls all day long."

Drew arched an eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

"Marisol."

"Say no more." Drew grinned, "That's all the explanation I needed."

"Exactly. We all know how dialed in Marisol is to the Katie Network."

"Yeah, but she's not a problem. She can't do shit. All talk."

"So I've heard. I'm not worried about her." Jake extended his arm to welcome Drew into the bed as he climbed in next to him. "Besides, if she gets unruly, I can always send my football player boyfriend after her."

"Boyfriend?" Drew asked, as if it were absurd of Jake to refer to him in such a way.

The question made Jake uncomfortable.

"Well, I figured, you know, since we've been .. together like this, that we were.. boyfriends."

Drew grinned as Jake stammered on, "Relax. It's just that it sounds nice hearing it from you."

Jake was relieved, "I'm glad you think so." He slid his hand down Drew's forearm and interlocked his fingers with Drew's, tenderly caressing the back of his hand with his thumb.

For a moment, they simply laid in each others' arms and soaked in the other's presence.

Drew slid closer into Jake, "Why can't things always be like this?"

Jake gave him a questioning look.

"Me and you, just like this." Drew gently laid a kiss against Jake's neck. "It feels so good."

"I agree. It is pretty nice, isn't it?" Jake stretched out his long legs and slung his other arm around Drew, reeling him in closer and resting his head against Drew's.

"Maybe when I graduate and start working for my dad full time, we can afford our own place."

"That'd be awesome!" Drew was enjoying the full contact from the other man.

Jake didn't answer, but his breathing was slowing down and steading. Drew turned to him and saw his eyes were closed. "Jake?"

"Hmm..?" He responded without opening his eyes.

"Uh, it's nothing." Drew noticed how comfortable and adorable Jake looked and decided to let him fall asleep if that's what he wanted.

"Okay." He answered sleepily.

Drew was about to carefully slip out of Jake's grasp, but then he started feeling sleepy too. Probably didn't help that he was feeling quite cozy in the warmth of Jake's arms.

He nestled his head against Jake and drifted off.

* * *

It was pitch black outside by the time Drew woke up and he found he was alone in bed.

"Jake?"

He noticed light pouring in through the door. Jake must be in the other room. He got up to see what Jake was up to, but the sound of roller skates on the hard wood floor and a thin veil of smoke in the air were big enough clues.

"Drew! Look how fast I'm going!" Jake said excitedly as soon as he noticed Drew stumble in. Jake was skating around the perimeter of the table in the center of the room.

"Having fun without me, speed demon?"

"You looked so damn cute when you were sleeping, so I thought I'd let you be."

Jake skated over and placed his hands on Drew's shoulders to stop himself.

"Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"It was exactly what I needed." Jake leaned down and kissed Drew on the forehead, "So, do you wanna join in on the fun? I got plenty."

Drew was still a little apprehensive, but he knew Jake knew what he was talking about, "Let's toke up!"

"Sweet." Jake skated over to the couch, "And remember, just stay chill and don't worry about anything and you'll be fine."

"No problem."

A few minutes and a few puffs later, Drew was on Jake's level, which was clear by the way he was laughing like a hyena.

"Someone's having a good time!" Jake was amused by how fast it hit him.

"You could say that! So, umm, Jake I gotta know something. What's up with the skates?"

"Well, Drew, if you must know, I... I don't really know, actually."

Jake's answer made them both howl with laughter to the point of tears.

"Actually, actually.. there is a few reasons." Jake struggled to answer his question for real, but had a hard time getting through it without breaking into laughter.

"One, I like going fast. Two, it's more fun to move around in them than walking. Three, I like being higher than I already am. Four.. skates are awesome."

"Wait, your skates make you even higher?" Drew asked with such amazement. "Are they weed skates?"

"No, though, that would kick ass."

Jake became distracted with the prospect and stared into the distance for a while.

"Weed skates... hmm." He whispered.

"But no, I mean, y'know, higher. Like.." Jake made an up and down hand gesture.

"Oh, you mean taller?" Drew asked, finally understanding what he meant.

"Yeah."

Drew laughed, "Like you need the boost. You already tower over everyone."

"I know." Jake smirked, "I want to be even taller."

"Fair enough." Drew said, "I like it. It suits you."

"What I'm hearing is, you think it's hot."

"Hmm.. maybe." Drew winked, "You know, it's too bad I don't have any skates, otherwise we could turn this into a roller rink."

"Yeah and this is the only pair I have." Jake noted, glancing down at them. "I do have another suggestion, though."

"What's that?"

"I'll hold you up while I skate!"

Jake's face lit up like he just came up with the best idea ever. Drew was a little less enthusiastic about it.

"Jake, normally this is where I'd ask what have you been smoking, but I already know the answer to that."

"Come on, why not?"

"Because you'll fall and we'll get hurt. I don't really feel like taking a trip to the hospital."

"I'm stronger than I look, Torres."

Drew took it as an invitation to cop a feel of Jake's bicep. He arched his eyebrows in approval, but was still reluctant.

"Come on, it'll be fun! I promise I won't fall and if I do, I'll make sure to break your fall and you can kick my ass afterwards. How about that?"

Jake gave Drew his best puppy look. All bets were offically off the table now.

"Fiiiine."

Drew put his arms around Jake's neck and looked up at him nervously, "Ready?"

Jake giggled a little, "Yeah, I'm ready!"

Drew jumped up and wrapped his legs around Jake's waist while Jake pulled him up so that they were eye level.

"You alright?" Jake was grinning ear to ear while Drew was still unsure if this was a good idea.

"Yeah, I'm cool." Drew glanced occasionally at the ground as if he were standing on top of the Empire State Building. "Just no tricks or anything, okay?"

"Relax. I got you." Jake kicked forward and as they started moving, Drew held on to Jake tighter.

Jake was skating smoothly and smiling gleefully as if he were lifting a 4-year-old girl instead of a full grown man. Drew was quite taken by his skill and his strength, especially considering he was high as a kite right now. It was actually kind of a turn on.

Drew couldn't help bursting into a giggle fit.

"See, I told you I could do it!" Jake said, relieved to see Drew finally lighten up.

"I promise I won't doubt your skills again!" Drew coughed out in between giggles, "Apparently you're a pro at this."

Drew was so tempted to just start making out with Jake at that moment, but he knew that would probably end badly.

The ride only lasted a few more minutes before Jake had to set Drew down. "Even pros have their limits." He huffed out.

"More than I could do." Drew admitted. He waited a whole split second before he attacked Jake's lips with his own, nearly knocking him over in the process.

They fell backwards onto the couch. Drew pulled Jake closer to him on his lap as he continued to press eager kisses against his soft lips.

Jake groaned delightedly into the kiss as his ass was grasped firmly by the other man and his hands traveled up his back. Drew was so gratified with the way Jake's form felt in his hands. He wondered how he managed to resist him for this long.

"I'm so glad my car broke down that night." Drew whispered in between kisses.

Jake stopped and stared down at him for a moment, "Me too. Who knew car trouble could be such a good thing?"

"Life's just crazy sometimes."

Jake places his hand over Drew's face and gently pushes it upward.

"You know, you love to randomly touch my face when you're high," Drew chuckled.

"Can you blame me? Your face is perfect. Duh." Jake bit his lip seductively and then retracted his hand after a moment.

"No, don't stop." Drew grabbed his wrist, "That actually felt kinda good."

Jake sat up and placed his hands on the sides of Drew's face and gently massaged along his temples, across his forehead and around his eyes. "Like that?"

Drew nodded with a simple "Mmm". Jake had the hands of a master masseur. They made all but one particular area of his body go limp with relaxation.

"Feels so good." He said in a breathy whisper. Jake smiled in satisfaction.

"Jake, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"About last night, the bad dream you had. What was it about?"

"It wasn't anything important."

"Jake, I know it wasn't just nothing. Whatever it was must've been pretty fucked up to make you look as freaked out as you did last night. Please tell me."

Jake looked as if his great mood had been completely shattered by Drew and for that, he felt guilty, but he just had to know if everything was okay with his boyfriend. He hoped he'd understand.

"I really don't want to go into detail," Jake got up and stood by the window, watching the snow blow around outside, "But umm, I had a nightmare that you.. died."

Drew didn't know what to say. Jake didn't either, but he tried to think of something fast because he knew Drew was probably freaked out by this.

"I've always had a phobia of losing people I really care about. I don't know why or how it started, I just... it scares the hell outta me."

Jake rested his forehead against his arm, which was now propped against the window. He wasn't comfortable facing Drew while explaining this.

"That's why I'm so protective of my friends and family. I never want anything to happen to them and if I have anything to say about it, nothing ever will."

"Well, you do a great job of it." Drew stood up and walked over to Jake, "I've honestly never felt safer than when I'm with you."

Drew ensnared Jake from behind in his arms and leaned his head against Jake's back, "You don't have to worry about me, man. I just want you to relax."

"Yeah, I do have to worry about you. I.." Jake stopped suddenly, like he was about to say the wrong thing, "You really matter to me."

"You matter to me, too. A lot. Tell you what, I promise I'll make it easier for you to not have to worry about me as long as you do the same for me."

Jake snorted, "Deal." He spun around to face him. His eyes looked a little glossed. Drew knew it wasn't from the weed.

He reached up and cupped Jake's face in his hands.

"I'm not going anywhere, Martin. There's no getting rid of me that easily."

* * *

**Thanks for the views and reviews! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who ships these ridiculously attractive guys. I'm planning on writing special chapters for Christmas and New Year's, so be on the lookout for those in the near future!**


	4. Christmas

**I know I promised a Christmas AND a New Year's Eve chapter, but I think I'm just going to do this Christmas one and then move on with the story. This chapter is already over a week overdue and I apologize for that. As you guys know, the holiday season is very busy, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to focus on writing this. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Jake grit his teeth and bit his lip to stifle a groan building deep inside his throat.

"We gotta stop this soon," he huffed out, "Or I'm gonna want to fuck you even more than I already do and that's not exactly the best idea right now."

Drew laid on top of Jake, pushing his crotch especially hard against him while he kissed slowly up Jake's neck and along his jaw to his temple.

"I can't help it," Drew whispered before kissing up the smooth skin of Jake's neck, "You're just so damn cute when you're being sexually tortured."

Jake chuckled and grinned, "You're such a dick."

"So I've been told," Drew smirked, "Speaking of which, yours is poking into me right now."

"You don't say." Jake bucked his hips up into Drew to give him a better idea of just how hard he was.

Drew grunted at the spontaneous contact and halted his kissing to center himself over Jake.

"I'm so fucking horny. I haven't even had a chance to beat off all week."

"I know," Jake said in a breathy whisper, "But we can't do it while everyone is home."

Jake grabbed Drew's ass and pulled him down closer. The contact forced them into moving their bodies against each other in a lazy rhythm out of reflex and pure desire.

They locked eyes while they slowly grinded against each other, communicating more in studying each other's features and heavy breathing than in words.

"Wish we could get some alone time. It's been a while, you know?" Drew whispered between shaky breaths.

"Yeah, I know. Trust me, I've been literally aching and well, what we're doing right now isn't going to help much in the long run-" Jake scrunched his eyes shut and let out a groan. "Fuck.."

Jake could feel his crotch starting to get wet from the excitement. "Gonna have to rub one out later."

Drew reached down and prepared to undo Jake's pants, "You sure we couldn't get away with a quick one? We can try _really_ hard to be quiet."

As if on cue, approaching footsteps could be heard.

"Shit!"

Drew leaped off the bed and hopped in the nearest chair. Jake did his best to conceal his extremely apparent and throbbing boner.

Predictably, a knock on the door came a few seconds later.

"Yeah?" Jake answered and the door swung open to reveal Glen on the other side.

"Jake? You think you can-" Glen started, but was distracted upon noticing he wasn't alone. "Oh, hey Drew. Didn't know you were here."

"Uh, hey, Mr. Martin." Drew greeted, trying to sound as natural as possible.

"What are you guys up to?" Glen asked, as if it were odd to see the pair together in Jake's room. Indeed it was kind of odd to some people as it seemed as though their close friendship happened overnight and randomly.

The few people who saw them together were never around them when they really talked or hung out, so they were in the dark as to what exactly they had in common.

"Oh, nothing much. Just umm.. studying!" Jake grinned in the same manner he did when he was hiding something. Glen was privy to what it meant.

"Yeah!" Drew nodded in agreement.

Glen shot them an incredulous look, "Studying? It's Christmas break."

"Right! Well.." Jake looked around, like he was literally trying to find another excuse.

Glen arched an eyebrow, "Are you guys stoned?"

Jake laughed, "No, dad, we're not stoned!"

"Come on, Jake, it's no big deal."

Jake raised his eyebrows, "Okay. Then yeah!"

Glen rolled his eyes, "Well, don't let Helen know that or she'll freak out. You think you can pull yourself together and come help me down at work for a bit?"

"Sure, dad. Just give me a minute to get ready."

Glen nodded, "I'll be in the truck."

Jake waited a second before considering the coast clear.

"See what I mean?"

"That could've been bad."

Jake nodded, "No kidding. Well, I guess I better get going." He stated unenthusiastically, searching his room for appropriate work attire.

"Hey, we gonna have some time in the next few days to, you know, have some alone time?" Drew had a hopeful look about him.

Jake grimaced, "Actually, my dad and Helen want to spend Christmas up at the cabin. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I would've told you sooner, but I kinda just heard about it myself."

Drew glanced down in disappointment, "Oh, well, that's cool. I mean, spending Christmas with your family."

"I'm sorry. I'd invite you if I could." Jake walked over to Drew and hugged him tight. "Better yet, I wish we could find a way to have some time to ourselves. I don't want you to spend Christmas by yourself."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I can hold out a little longer. And I'll find something to keep me occupied over the holidays."

"The second I get back, I'll let you know and we can go do something. Okay?" Jake pulled away from the hug and gave Drew a warm smile.

"I can't wait! I better head out. Your dad's waiting for you." Drew leaned in and gave Jake a quick kiss. "I'll see you soon."

"See ya." Jake watched as Drew exited his room.

He was left feeling empty. It was the first Christmas he and Drew would have as a couple and they wouldn't even be able to spend a second of it together. All he really wanted was for it to be less complicated to have a real relationship.

* * *

Earlier that week, Drew received a voicemail from his mother, Audra. Something about wanting him to come over and have dinner with her and Adam the night before Christmas Eve. He found the proposition rather strange and wondered what ulterior motive she had for this.

Knowing Audra and her lack of apprehension to go to extremes, she probably had a talk show host and a camera crew waiting to ambush him so they can hash out their family issues. He wasn't even going to entertain the thought of calling her back, but he figured he owed her at least an appearance since it was Christmas and he hasn't even seen her since he moved to Fiona's apartment.

He felt like a stranger in the place he called home for the last few years. Audra's attempt at a warm welcome was awkward and weak, unlike Adam, who didn't even have to make an effort to make Drew feel at home.

Dallas was nowhere to be seen, which he was fine with. Drew wasn't in the mood for his usual barrage of unwanted smartass remarks. His dad was also absent; working late as usual.

"So, how's your job going?" Audra asked stiffly. Anyone could tell the question left her with a bitter taste.

"It's fine." Drew answered before looking at her directly and adding, "Great, actually."

Audra feigned a smile, taking Drew's comment as a personal attack more than anything else. "Good!"

Adam's glance shifted nervously between his brother and his mom, like he was in the middle of a warzone. He anticipated the table flipping wasn't too far off now.

Audra already had enough of the small talk, "Look, Drew, I'm gonna cut to the chase. There's a reason I wanted you to have dinner with us tonight."

Drew exhaled in annoyance, "Isn't there always? Let's hear it."

Audra tried not to let his attitude get to her, "It's Christmastime and you shouldn't be spending it away from us. We should all be together as a family."

Drew's expression softened, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, we want you to spend Christmas here with us."

Drew's face lit up. He didn't show up expecting to hear this, but a part of him felt like that was his goal the whole time.

"Of course! I'd love to come back for Christmas!"

Audra flashed a genuine smile for the first time since the night began, "I am so happy to hear you say that! I just want to put all this nonsense behind us and have us all together again."

Drew raised his hands, "No arguments here!"

"Finally!" Adam was grinning from ear to ear. "Now we can _please_ go back to being a normal family instead of one straight from a soap opera?"

"I'm so glad we could finally get this sorted out, Drew!" Audra was beaming. "And since it's Christmas break, you can re-enroll at Degrassi just in time for second semester."

Drew nearly dropped his glass. His mood flipped a complete 180 in a split second. "Excuse me?"

"Well, if you're going to be moving back in here, you're going to have to go back to school."

Drew was floored by the woman's audacity.

"Who said anything about going back to school? And who said I was moving back in? All I agreed to was spending Christmas here. I'm still staying at the apartment, keeping my job and I'm not going back to school."

"Is that right?" Audra raised her brows and gave Drew a sarcastic grin as if this were all a joke.

"Mom, I'm happy with my life right now. I'm good at my job and I'm making great money. I finally found something that works for me. Why can't you see that and be thankful?"

"Andrew Torres, you are a teenager. You think you've already got your life figured out? You don't know even know what happiness is."

"I'm an adult now. Remember when I was a kid and you always told me that I can't make my own decisions until I'm 18? Guess what, mom? I'm 18 now!"

"Fine, you're right." Audra pushed herself away from the table, "You're a grown man, Drew. You're old enough to make your own choices. And since you're such an adult now, you have to face consequences for your choices head on. If you're not going to leave your job and finish high school, then I'm sorry, you can't be here for Christmas."

Adam's eyes widened, "Mom! Don't you think you're being a little extreme?"

"No, Adam, it's fine. I get it. Mom doesn't want her failure of a son around to embarrass her."

"Drew, come on.." Adam pleaded, but it was no use. Drew tossed his napkin on the table and stood up.

"I gotta get going." He swiftly made his exit with no sign of resistance from Audra, much to Adam's disbelief.

"Mom, what the hell? You're really going to exclude Drew from Christmas?"

"Adam, my decision is final." Audra stated sternly.

Adam shook his head in disgust, "You make it so impossible to be on your side sometimes!" He, too, stormed off, leaving Audra to herself.

* * *

Drew's phone started ringing on his way back to the apartment. He groaned and reached for it in his coat pocket, expecting it to be his mom.

"I swear to god, it better not be-"

Drew's rage quelled by the sight of Jake's name on the screen instead of his mom's.

"Hey there, miss me already?"

Jake chuckled, "Always. Just checking up on you. I figure if I can't be with you during Christmas, I can at least call you."

"Aren't you sweet? I'm fine, just left my mom's house."

"Oh yeah? What for? Hanging with Adam?"

"No, my mom actually invited me over for dinner, but-"

Drew was ready to go into a full-blown tirade about what just happened, but he knew that would only make Jake worry more about him.

"Well, she invited me over for Christmas."

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Jake sounded like this news made his day, "So I guess the family drama's over, huh?"

"Yeah, totally!"

"I'm so happy to hear that, Drew. I really didn't want you to be alone during Christmas. I was feeling so bad about that."

Drew winced. It hurt to have to lie to Jake, especially when he was being so sweet right now. He'd give anything to just _be_ with him right now.

"Like I said, don't worry about me! And now I'm gonna be spending it with the family, so it's all good!"

"I can't tell you how good that makes me feel."

Drew took that as a sign that he's doing the right thing by preventing Jake from worrying about him during his trip.

"I better let you go. You probably wanna spend time with the family. I got an early morning tomorrow."

"Yeah... Yeah, I should go."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, though, okay? Have a great night!"

"You too! Good night."

Drew was glad to be done with the conversation. He wouldn't have lasted another minute under the facade. He felt bad enough about lying to Jake that he could cry. The issue he had with his mom ceased to matter much at that point. This had all the makings of the worst Christmas ever.

* * *

"Why isn't he answering my calls?" Jake set his phone down after making the fifth unanswered call in two days and rubbed his head.

His stomach was beginning to hurt out of worry. He was becoming a nervous wreck by the hour. It wasn't like Drew to just ignore his calls and he figured he'd be especially eager to pick up the phone for his boyfriend on Christmas day.

He tried calling once the day before and got nothing. Now it was already past dark on Christmas and still nothing.

Drew couldn't bear to answer Jake's calls. It was too much to bring himself to lie to him on top of everything else that was going wrong.

Fiona was out of town for Christmas, so he had the place to himself. He spent the day lounging in front of the TV watching Christmas specials. Some of which embittered him, since such things centered on happy families and romance.

He received a call from Adam too, but he just wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone today. Plus, he knew if he talked to Adam, he'd think of his mom and get angry all over again.

Jake smacked himself in the head, "Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"

He flipped through the contacts on his phone and clicked on Adam's name.

"Hello?"

Jake was relieved to finally get an answer.

"Hey, Adam, can I talk to Drew? I tried calling him, but I guess he can't hear his phone or something."

"Uhh, Drew isn't here."

Jake scrunched his brows and the brief sense of relief he had shattered in an instant, "What? Where is he? He told me he was going to be home for Christmas."

"Well he was gonna come until mom told him he isn't welcome here."

"You're kidding."

"Trust me, I wish I was."

Jake's hands began to shake a little, "You have any idea why he isn't answering his phone? I've been trying to get a hold of him all day."

"I suppose his phone could be dead. You should try giving Fiona a call."

"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks, Adam!" He was about to hang up right away, but he didn't want to be rude. "Oh, and Merry Christmas!"

Adam laughed, "Merry Christmas, Jake!"

As soon as the call ended, Jake punched in Fiona's name on his phone and clicked on her number as soon as it popped up.

"Hey, Fiona, Can I talk to Drew for a minute? He's not picking up his phone."

"Oh, hey Jake! Sorry, I'm not home right now. I'm in New York. But you can try giving Adam a call, he said he's gonna be at his parents' house for Christmas."

Jake felt like he was going to be sick. "I tried, but apparently he lied about that. Adam said their mom wouldn't let him be there."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I dunno why he didn't tell us the truth."

"He was probably embarrassed. I can't imagine how much it sucks to be rejected by your family like that."

"I need to find him and make sure he's okay."

"_Please_ let me know once you find out."

"I will. Merry Christmas, Fiona." It was kind of a flat greeting, but he was a bit too concerned at the moment.

"Merry Christmas, Jake. Good luck!"

Jake explained to his dad and Helen that he had to be there for a friend and this was an emergency. They were reluctant, but they let him go without much trouble. Jake was just thankful that they decided to take two vehicles to the cabin.

He hopped in the truck and was immediately on his way back to Toronto and spent the entire drive praying that Drew was okay.

* * *

The last thing Drew was expecting tonight was a knock at the door. Probably one of Fiona's friends. He was going to ignore it and let them think no one was home, until he heard a familiar voice.

"Drew, are you there?"

"Jake?"

Drew ran to the door and yanked it open.

"What are you doing here?"

"So you ARE alive!" Jake looked like he was about to pass out on the spot until he ensnared Drew in an enormous bear hug.

After a minute, Jake let him go and gave him a good smack on the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey!" Drew rubbed his shoulder.

"What did I tell you about scaring me like that? I've been worried sick about you! I've been calling you all day. I called Adam and Fiona and when they told me that you weren't with them, I nearly had a heart attack!"

Jake was furious, but Drew knew it was out of genuine concern.

"I didn't want you to worry about me, but I guess I ended up making you worry even more. I didn't want to get in the way of you spending a nice Christmas with your family. I know it's the first one you're having since your dad got married again and-"

Jake stopped him as soon as he noticed Drew getting worked up, "You could never ruin anything for me. Never. Don't ever feel like you could, especially if you're dealing with something like this. I know about what happened with you and your mom."

Drew looked up at Jake in shame. "Adam told you?"

Jake nodded, "Don't be embarrassed or anything. None of it is your fault. Please let me know when things like this happen. There's no reason you should deal with it alone."

Jake cupped Drew's face in his hands and looked him deep in the eyes, "We're in this together now."

Drew reached up to grasp Jake's hand. "You're the best."

Jake smiled, "And there's also no way I'd let you be alone during Christmas. I love you too much to let that happen."

"Wait, what did you say?"

"There's no way I'd let you-"

"No, after that."

"...I love you."

It was the best thing Drew has ever heard. "I love you, too."

They shared a deep kiss before heading to the couch where they cradled in each other's arms.

"So, what are we watching?" Jake kicked up his feet and got comfortable.

"No idea. I've been watching nameless Christmas specials all day!"

"Sounds like a good time!" Jake snickered, "By the way, I'm sorry I didn't really have a chance to get your anything for Christmas."

Drew turned to him, "What are you talking about? You're here, aren't you? And if that weren't already the best Christmas present ever, I found out the man I love, loves me back."

Jake's face lit up brighter than any Christmas tree ever could hope to. "That is a pretty damn good Christmas present to both of us, huh?"

"Merry Christmas, Drew." Jake planted another soft kiss on his lips.

Drew snuggled closer to his boyfriend, "Merry Christmas, Jake."

* * *

**Just wanna say I hope you guys had a very Merry Christmas and wish you all a Happy New Year! :)**


	5. Outing

Jake had the hardest time in the world prying his tired body off his bed that first morning back to school since Christmas vacation began. He spent nearly every day of those two weeks with Drew and he never wanted it to end. He didn't want to have to go back to real life.

Was that unhealthy? If it was, Jake didn't care. He was happy whenever he was with Drew and that's all that mattered. There was never any drama between them, no tension, no awkward moments.

It was a nice change of pace from his past relationships and from what he's used to during any other moment of his life lately.

To make the first morning back even harder was the realization that the next couple weeks would be grueling; Drew would be working longer shifts and Jake would undoubtedly be swamped with post-holiday work at school and helping out his dad.

It wouldn't be very long until they'd have some alone time and get back to seeing each other on a regular basis and that was more than enough to keep them going through their separation.

* * *

"Hey, cutie!" Jake heard as he headed to his truck after school. He whirled around to see Drew with the biggest smile on his face.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Jake beamed as they both snagged each other in a tight hug. Neither of them really caring who was watching at that point.

"I got off work early and I'm working normal shifts again, so I thought I'd come see you and maybe convince you to come to my place tonight?"

"You know you don't have to do anything to convince me!" Jake went in for another hug. "I missed you so much." He confessed in hushed tones.

"I missed you too, babe." Drew whispered back.

Both of them tried to keep the contact as platonic as possible. They weren't ready for the world to know about their relationship just yet.

"What's going on here?" Katie asked as she approached them, arms folded and eyes narrowed.

They released each other from the embrace to acknowledge Katie's presence. Marisol was right next to her, the usual look of disdain adorned on her face.

"So, Jake, you're buddies with Drew now? Hmm. Interesting." Katie noted sardonically, her glare shifting between the two of them.

Marisol scoffed, "I guess now we know where Jake learned how to be a deadbeat boyfriend."

"Fuck you, Marisol." Drew spat. He wasn't about to let her or anyone else ruin his and Jake's moment.

"Don't talk to Marisol like that!" Katie interjected.

"Then don't let her call Jake a deadbeat!" Drew stepped forward and raised his voice.

Jake extended his arm to stop Drew and prevent things from escalating.

"Katie, what is your problem? We've been broken up for a month now. Why do you have to keep starting shit with me?" Jake tried to remain as calm as possible, but even he was losing his patience with Katie's passive aggressive antics.

"Oh, I don't have a problem at all," She smiled, "I'm just admiring the fact that both of my ex-boyfriends are besties now. It makes sense since you both have a fear of commitment and you're so fond of being irresponsible jerks."

Jake rolled his eyes as Katie continued to ramble. He learned a long time ago that Katie hardly ever offers an opportunity to reason with her, so he doesn't even bother anymore.

"Oh, but, Drew here isn't commitment challenged when it comes to Bianca at least, not even when he's not actually in a relationship with her! How is Bianca doing anyway?" Katie cocks her head to the side mockingly.

"Actually, Bianca and I aren't together anymore."

Katie and Marisol laugh condescendingly.

"Wow, big shock!" Marisol shouted obnoxiously, "What happened? Find someone else who's even easier th-"

"Hey, at least he can get someone." Jake interrupted, "Once Mo gets tired of your shit, you won't find anyone else who'll put up with you. I guarantee it."

Marisol's face twists into an ugly scowl while Drew chuckles in the background.

"And Katie?" Jake turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes, "Maybe if you spent less time obsessing over what Drew or I do, you'd actually find someone else and get a life of your own." His tone was deadly serious and to the point.

Katie looked like she was trying to think of a crusher of a comeback, but failed miserably. Marisol was coming up short herself. Drew stood behind Jake and stifled a fit of laughter from erupting.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Jake turned and walked away from the two girls, who still looked kind of stunned.

Marisol had to usher Katie away. Obviously Jake struck a nerve with her.

"Think I did Fiona proud with that one?" Jake asked jokingly. Drew chuckled, "Oh, I _know_ you did Fiona proud there. Maybe now Katie and her minion will get off our back."

"Dunno about that. She might be worse now that she knows we're friends."

"Ha. Think how bad she'd be if she knew we were boyfriends." In a world of no consequence, Drew would love to rub that in Katie's face.

* * *

It occurred to Drew that when he's with Jake, they don't really go out on dates or do much of anything out in public like normal couples do. Drew was perfectly fine just spending alone time with Jake and maybe hanging out with Fiona and Imogen as well, but he worried that Jake was growing bored with that routine or that he would eventually start to.

"I got a surprise for you." Drew reached in his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

"Aw, you're sweet, but you don't have to pay me to be your boyfriend." Jake snarked as he eagerly waited to see what Drew would pull out.

Drew teasingly narrowed his eyes at him, "Very funny, smartass. Here." He handed over a very authentic looking fake ID to Jake.

"Fake ID, huh?" Jake scanned over the details of the card carefully. He snorted at the name he was given. "Marcus Wellington? Well, that's quite the regal name. Let's see.. born August 15th, 1993, 165 lbs.. Where did you get these done?"

"I know a guy," Drew stated cryptically, "Well.. Bianca does, anyway."

Jake pocketed the ID in his own wallet. "Cool. So, uhh, I'm guessing you have plans for us to be using these soon?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we should go out tonight and chill. Have a few beers.. you know.. get into some trouble." Drew winked seductively and slid his hand up Jake's thigh, "We can be ourselves in public for once. No one from school will be there, obviously."

"It would be nice to be able to show off my sexy boyfriend to the world for once." Jake smirked and leaned over to plant a slow, deep kiss on Drew's lips. His fingers lightly brushed against Drew's cheek.

Drew leaned his forehead against Jake's and lazily opened his eyes to stare right into him. "I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Drew pulled a black polo shirt over his head that clung tightly to his torso and emphasized his physique. He checked himself out in the mirror to make sure he looked nice and that he could pass as legal. He wore a new pair of blue jeans, along with a white pair of sneakers and a black belt, which his polo failed to cover up.

He went to work on gelling up his hair to its usual style when Jake walked in. "Wow. You look hot!"

Drew blushed a little. "Hey! Don't you know it's bad luck to see your boyfriend before he's ready to go to the bar?"

"I don't think that's how that one goes." Jake laughed, "Besides, I couldn't wait to see how cute you look all dressed up for clubbin'."

Drew snorted, "'Clubbin'? Didn't think I'd hear you say that!" He glanced at Jake in the mirror and turned to examine him further. "And what about you? You're going all crazy about how hot I look, have you seen yourself?"

Jake's dark brown hair was styled in the somewhat fauxhawk style that Drew thought looked incredibly sexy on him and he was wearing a plaid button shirt that was mostly white and red and had a few blue and green stripes strewn about in the pattern over a dark pair of jeans that fit kind of loosely on Jake's legs and waist.

The thought of grabbing Jake's pants and pulling them down with ease crept into Drew's mind just as quickly as he observed Jake and immediately tantalized him.

Jake scoffed, "C'mon, I don't look that good."

"Tell that to my boner."

The bar Drew had in mind was conveniently far enough away from the neighborhood in which most Degrassi students lived, so there wasn't much chance of them being spotted going in or out.

The place attracted a young enough crowd, but it wasn't exactly a club or anything. It had closer to a small town bar atmosphere, which Jake appreciated.

Drew was a little bit nervous. This was their first real outing as a couple other than a few visits to the movies. There, they had the luxury of secluded seating and being in the dark, so it was much easier to sneak in a few kisses and gropes without being noticed. It would be much harder to hide that sort of thing in a bar. Of course, being clandestine was the exact opposite of the goal tonight.

They walked in casually, earning a few glances from the patrons, trying their best to look like they belonged there instead of attempting to get away with something. They settled at a table neighboring a couple of guys playing pool.

"I'll go get us some drinks." Drew announced as Jake sat down. "Beer?"

Jake nodded. He might've been more daring with his drink of choice if he wasn't feeling nervous himself. His gaze shifted from watching his boyfriend getting the drinks to the billiards match going on a few feet away.

Drew clenched his teeth while the bartender retrieved a couple of beers, hoping he wouldn't complicate things by asking him for ID. When it was evident their adventure wouldn't be short-lived, he sighed in relief.

"Didn't give you any trouble, I see." Jake noted as he was handed his beer and Drew sat across from him. "Nope. Guess I'm easy to pass off for being 19."

They clanked their bottles together as a cheers and downed the beverage. Jake rested his hand on Drew's from across the table. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too. Can't wait until you're out of school. No more conflicting schedules. We can see each other whenever we want."

"Yeah, it'll be even better once we get our own place. Maybe somewhere far away."

"I wouldn't mind that." Drew raised his eyebrows in wholehearted agreement and took another big drink from his bottle.

After the first beer, the next few went down fast and easy. Jake questioned, out of guilt, if Drew could afford him drinking himself silly, but Drew insisted on him having as much as he wanted, that it was his treat. Even still, Drew managed to climb a few beers ahead of him.

"Come on." Jake stood up from his chair and held out a hand, giving him a devilish and tipsy grin.

"Where are we going?" Drew took his hand, wondering what Jake had in mind.

"Dance with me!"

Drew looked a little apprehensive and puzzled at first, glancing around the bar. He noticed the place wasn't too big and a few other couples were dancing.

"We came out here to just be ourselves, right?" Jake asked, arm still outstretched, hand still waiting to be clasped by Drew's.

Drew grinned widely before grabbing Jake's hand and being led out a ways from their table into the open. Had either of them been any less inebriated, they probably wouldn't have the nerve to do this.

All either of them could see was each other. The people around them ceased to be anything more than scenery. Extended gawking went totally unnoticed. Even the slow music faded out.

Drew gazed dreamily up into Jake's eyes, grinning ear to ear while his arms hung around his neck. "This is so crazy."

"I know. If it wasn't crazy, I wouldn't be doing it." Jake glanced down at their feet to make sure he didn't accidentally step on Drew's and ruin the moment. "I'm trying to make the mot of tonight. How am I doing?"

"Perfect as always. Y'know, I'm so glad you're here, Jakey. I wouldn't do this with anybody else!"

"I sure hope you wouldn't! You're my boyfriend, after all... Drewey?"

They both burst into drunken glgging, nearly stumbling off course with their dancing.

"Well, I'm glad you're my boyfriend."

"Me too."

Their lips meet briefly as the song ends and they stop dancing. Jake takes a moment to admire how soothing Drew's eyes look, especially under the lights in the bar.

"What is it?"

"Just me realizing again how handsome you are. I never get tired of it." Even while drunk and slightly slurred, Jake managed to string along the sweetest things Drew's ever heard.

Meanwhile, the guys at the pool table talk amongst themselves and make comments about them that still go unnoticed.

Jake grimaces comically, "Hate to ruin a moment, but I _really_ gotta go take a piss. Be right back." Drew chuckles as he watches him take off towards the restroom. He leans against the bar, sipping the last bit of beer he had. Just as he was about to feel relief that no one had harrassed him all night, one of the guys from the pool table approaches him.

"Hey man, looks like you were having fun out there." Drew could tell by the tone of this guy's voice that he was a smart ass.

"What are you talking about?" He squinted at him, trying to see a little clearer and also to convey that he was already annoyed with him.

"You know, the cute little dance you and your fruity boy toy were just doing."

"_Excuse me?_" With that remark, he knew non-confrontational Drew was out for the night and ass kicking Drew had just checked in.

"You guys gonna go back home and have some butt sex? Spread around that good ol' AIDS shit even more?" A few guys back at the pool table began to cackle, which made Drew's blood boil even more.

"Dude, _fuck off!_" He stood up and got in his face. "And don't _fucking_ talk about my boyfriend like that."

The guy was probably a few years older than himself, but Drew was considerably taller and more built. He knew he could take him if things got ugly, but the guy also had reinforcements.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I offend you? I better be careful what I say. Wouldn't wanna get my ass kicked!" The guy's mocking was more irritating than offensive, but it still made Drew clench his fists. If he kept it up, Drew wouldn't have any qualms over beating the shit out of him. Drew figured this guy must also be drunk if he thinks someone as scrawny as himself could take on a six-foot-tall former athlete who was very quickly losing his patience.

"The fuck's your problem anyway? Lemme guess. You're mad because you're probably some frat reject who can't get any action, so you're taking it out on anyone who does? Am I right, asshole?"

The guy snarled, which made Drew smirk with even more pride knowing that he must've hit the nail in the coffin.

"No one wants to see you waving your gay pride flag here, alright? That shit's disgusting. Keep it at home and no one will have a problem. Alright, fag?" His sarcastic tone was gone and now he was just trying to be hurtful.

Drew grabbed the guy by the shirt, nearly tearing it and lifting him off his feet. His eyes widen as he's suddenly very up close and personal with Drew. "You wanna repeat that for me, prick?"

He wipes the expression of shock off his face to deliver another snide remark, "Yeah, I call you a fag!"

Drew's about to break his face when Jake rushes in just in time. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" He grabs Drew's fist and gets in between them.

"Drew, come on, man, just chill out. There's no need for you to hit him."

The man snickers obnoxiously behind Jake, obviously feeling a little bold now that Jake barricaded Drew from him. "Yeah, listen to the gay boy. You'll just end up getting hurt anyway!"

Jake spun on his heel and sent his fist into the guy's face with a loud crack before anyone had a chance to process it. The force of Jake's blow sent him crashing into a few tables and chairs. A few people gasped and leapt out of the way.

"That's _my_ job." Jake growled as he stared down at the fallen man who didn't appear to even be conscious. A good amount of blood trickled down his smug face.

A split second later, the shock of what just happened slammed into Jake. His entire body vibrated and a searing pain surged through his hand. His heart thudded in his chest and sweat began to pour from the rush of adrenaline and rage.

However, he soon snapped back to reality and realized this wasn't the time or place to process this. They were about to either be beaten down by the douchebag's friends or be hauled off to jail.

"Time to go!" Jake grabbed Drew's wrist with his left hand and yanked him out the door.

The boys ran out of the bar and made a bee-line for Drew's parking spot until Jake suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wait, dude, we're wasted! Neither of us can drive back! Your car will be fine here, let's take a taxi or bus or something."

Drew shrugged and glanced at his car, reluctant to let it stay there. "..Fine!" Drew groaned and left his car behind and followed Jake down the street in search of an available taxi cab or a bus station, whichever came first.

Drew had a bit more to drink than Jake, so he took his time rather than try to keep up to avoid taking a spill on the icy sidewalk.

"Drew, come on! I found us a cab!"

"Coming!" Drew squinted through the haze of the booze and the city lights to find Jake.

"After you, sir." Jake politely led Drew into the cab, careful that he didn't bump his head.

Drew bowed, "Why, thank you!" They climbed in and breathed out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

No sirens. That was a good sign. And none of the guys from the bar bothered to follow them out, which was another good thing. Drew was praying they didn't see him go to his car. He really didn't want to imagine what they'd do to it while it was left unattended.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ah..!" Jake flinched as Drew pressed an ice pack against his bruised knuckles. Drew eased up on the pressure and held it on his hand lighter. "Sorry."

"S'fine. Didn't think I hit him _that_ hard." Jake grit his teeth as the pain started to dull and relief began to set in.

"Yeah, you pack quite a punch." Drew remarked in amazement. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Jake flashes the usual smirk that he seems to only have for Drew. "Don't think that'll be a problem."

He returns the smile, but his demeanor returns to a serious one once he glances back down at the ice pack. "Your parents are gonna wonder why your hand is a lovely shade of purple."

Jake scoffed. "Let 'em wonder." He sighed and glanced out the window at the street below.

Drew hesitates for a moment. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Thinking about exactly why he did it stirs up emotions inside of him. "I know. I just refuse to sit back and watch someone hurt or push around anyone I care about."

Drew senses the tension building up in Jake and attempts to lighten the mood a bit. "I never would've guessed you could be such a hothead. It's kinda sexy, actually."

Jake's eyes light up. "You're so cute." He leaned in and kissed the side of Drew's forehead. The scent of booze apparent in his breath.

Maybe it was the amount of alcohol currently flowing through his blood or maybe it was because it had been so long since he got to spend time with Jake, but something made Drew feel bold enough to bare his soul to him right then.

"I feel so safe when I'm around you." Drew whispered, unable to look at Jake when he made his raw confession. Jake turned to him, feeling almost shocked at hearing this coming from him. It was his tone more than anything.

He rested his hand on Drew's and sat closer to him.

"You have every reason to." Jake caressed his hand gently. Drew faced him. The air felt thick between them. "There's no way I'll ever let anyone hurt you."

"I've never felt like this before." Drew admitted, his words slow and slurred. He stared into Jake's eyes like he was in a trance. Jake was always very attractive to Drew, but right now he seemed even more undeniably immaculate. Jake was everything that was right with the world.

"Felt like what?" Jake calmly traced the patterns of Drew's face with his fingertips. Along his lips, eyebrows, jawline and the rest of his bone structure.

"Safe.. protected. Everyone expects me to be the strong, fearless guy because I'm a jock. No one wants to see me being weak and scared. But the truth is, that's what I am. I couldn't ever ask someone else to protect me."

"You're not weak, Drew. Not by a long shot." Jake laughed a little. "You're one of the strongest people I know."

"You're just saying that."

Jake furrowed his brows. "Are you being serious right now?" He continued running his fingers over Drew's face soothingly. "The shit you've been through in the past year.. I dunno how you managed to get through that. I know I wouldn't have been able to without losing my mind, but you did."

Drew frowned internally. He wouldn't exactly say he came out a survivor or at least unscathed. Nearly being killed by that gang, fearing for his life every moment of every day until Vince was caught and not to mention worrying about the lives of those who could potentially end up in the crossfire.

Jake stopped for a second and cupped Drew's face in his hands. "Listen, you are brave and strong. You're nothing remotely even close to being weak. Don't sell yourself short, okay?"

Drew took a moment, but then smiled. "If you say so." He couldn't resist agreeing with Jake when he looked at him. Those eyes of his just shined a certain way that was hypnotic and he knew that whenever he says something that Jake wants to hear, he'd be rewarded with seeing that flawless smile of his.

Jake returned the smile. "I do say so and I mean every word of it, Drew." His voice was low and thickening with exhaustion. It was getting pretty late.

"Sorry this night didn't turn out as planned." Drew said disappointedly, "I really wanted to make it special."

"Don't worry about it. It _was_ special - I had fun with you tonight. And the fact that you wanted to take me out and show me a good time was pretty damn sweet." He raised up his ice pack-clad hand. "I even got to lay out a guy for being an ass to you. I'd say it's been a complete night. We even had a dance."

"Yeah, considering we won't be able to have a dance at the prom." Drew let out a small chuckle and closed his eyes as he clutched tightly onto Jake. "Man, I gotta get my car tomorrow."

"Don't worry about that right now," Jake kissed him on the forehead, "Just get some sleep. You're exhausted and you should sleep off that beer."

"Mm.." Drew's breathing began to slow down and even out.

"Good night, Drew."

A few seconds passed before he got a slurred response.

"Nigh.. Jake."

* * *

**Hope you guys aren't too upset that this chapter is so long overdue. Lack of inspiration and free time are the contributing factors to that, but you can expect the wait for the next chapter to be a lot shorter as I have a clear idea of where I want to go with the story. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! :)**


	6. Wish You Were Here

Jake laid across the couch in his living room, lazily tossing cheese puffs into his mouth while he watched a marathon of reality shows about rich people just living their everyday lives.

"Man, I wish I was rich." Jake said out loud to himself and chuckled.

His focus was briefly interrupted when he heard his dad and Helen in the next room whispering rather loudly. He shrugged it off and continued watching the show until Glen entered the room.

"Jake, we need to talk."

"Why? What's going on?" Jake sat up nervously. Nothing good _ever_ comes from 'we need to talk'.

"Son, your graduation is coming up really soon and you haven't really put any effort into applying to colleges."

Jake rolled his eyes. He already felt totally irritated and the conversation just started. "Dad, I already told you. I don't want to go to college."

Glen shook his head disapprovingly, "Jake, you _need_ college."

Jake scrunched his eyebrows, feeling a mixture of annoyance and offense at that. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why are you getting so defensive?" Glen asked. Jake was floored by the question.

"Because it sounds like you don't believe in me and it kinda pisses me off."

"Of course we believe in you, Jake, it's just-"

"It's just what?" Jake interrupted, "You obviously don't think I'm equipped to think for myself or capable of taking care of myself."

"I'm sorry, Jake, but I can't help but think your decision to not go to college stems from a lack of motivation."

Jake grimaced and took offense to that accusation, "How would you even know that? I'm still in high school. It isn't like I've been out of school for ten years and have done nothing but sit on my ass all day." Glen glanced away as Jake spoke. He wasn't taking Jake seriously and he knew that, which caused his blood to heat up. "And you know, college isn't for everyone. A ton of successful people out there haven't gone to university or anything. Some of them didn't even graduate from high school."

"Well, they got lucky."

"It isn't just luck!" Jake's voice rose. "You don't need college to be successful. And you don't need luck to survive without it. Besides, think of the money you'll save from not sending me off to some overpriced, glitzy school."

"I know you want to go into the family business, but there's so much that an education can do for you."

"Right, because not only am I too stupid to survive without school, I'm too stupid to make my own decisions." Jake stated what he knew was on his dad's mind, but wouldn't phrase in so many words.

"You're acting like a child now. Most kids go on to university following high school, that doesn't mean they're stupid."

"I'm not talking about that. It's the way you're making _me_ sound. Like, there's no way in hell that I can possibly make it without going to university and that my ideas and dreams are just plain ridiculous."

"I don't like your tone, Jake. You may be an adult now, but you still have to treat me with respect."

"You mean the opposite of the way you're treating me now?"

"Is this how Drew behaves around his parents?"

"What?" The question caught Jake off guard. He couldn't believe his dad was being like this. These weren't the kinds of questions he asked. It was like he was a different person. "Where is this coming from?"

"You and him have been spending a lot of time together lately. Maybe he's not the best influence on you."

Jake stood up, trying his best to keep his rising temper under control. "Oh, so now you're going to choose my friends? Are you being serious right now, dad?"

"Well, he's not in school anymore. You spend almost all of your free time with him doing who knows what. It's possible you're getting all these ideas from him?"

"All these ideas?" Jake echoed, "For your information, I made up my mind about what I wanted to do with my life before Drew and I became friends. And why are you trying to make him the bad guy all of a sudden? I spend some time with him. So what? He's my friend. It's not like we're doing meth or like I'm failing my classes or anything. And anyway, you don't even know him!"

"Obviously this kid doesn't know what's good for him or he wouldn't have given up on his education, son. He can't be too bright."

Jake's lips stiffened and he clenched his fists. "Actually, he's quite smart. He's also a really great guy. Maybe if everyone would stop judging him for two seconds, you'd see that."

Jake was so livid he could feel his eyes burn with tears of rage. He wondered why his dad decided to do a 180 all of a sudden, that since no one else was getting in the way of him and Drew today, he was chosen to fill that quota. He was so annoyed with everyone throwing themselves in their business. Why couldn't they just be left alone?

He slammed the door behind him as he headed outside. He pulled out his phone and he rapidly typed out a text to Drew.

"Feel like I'm gonna have a meltdown. Tell me we can meet at your place in private?"

Jake hopped in his truck and waited for a response. His phone vibrated a couple minutes later. "Everything okay? Fi's got some friends over right now. What's going on?"

"Shit." Jake cursed out loud. He thought of another plan.

"Too long for text. Cabin trip?" Jake honestly didn't feel like driving out all the way to the cabin and staying the night, but he was desperate to get out of the house. Thought being out for the night or even longer would be a nice bonus, especially if it's with his boyfriend.

"Sounds good to me. :) Too much estrogen here anyway. I'll be ready in 10. Hope you're alright."

"I will be as soon as I get the fuck out of here. I'll come pick you up. Love you."

"Love you too." Drew could feel the tension radiating from the text alone, so he could only imagine what must have happened and how Jake's feeling. He quickly changed out of his work clothes and packed a few things in his bag.

Just as he stepped out of the building, Jake's red pick-up pulled up to the curb and he jumped in. Before Drew got a chance to ask him anything, his lips were attacked by Jake's. They were hungry and ravenous. Not that he didn't mind it, but he could tell that Jake was stressed.

Their lips parted after a minute, "Hey." Jake grinned, but it didn't seem as genuine as it normally was.

"Hey," Drew returned. He was too nervous to come up with any small talk. "So, what's up? You seemed pretty upset in your texts."

Jake's smile vanished, replaced by a clenched jaw and a hard swallow. He remained like that, staring intently at the road he was driving on for a few seconds. "It's.. my dad. We had a big fight."

"Fight? About what?"

"My future, how irresponsible and stupid I am," Jake's eyes wandered apprehensively, "You."

"Me?" Drew instantly felt a little hurt. "Why me?" He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to know.

Jake swallowed hard again. He was now unsure that it was a good idea to rant to him about the bad things his dad said about him. He didn't want Drew's feelings to get hurt. "I-It's so stupid."

"Tell me, Jake. I won't be upset." It was kind of a lie, but it's not like he'd hold Jake responsible for things his dad said.

Jake frowned, knowing it was too late to backtrack now. "He was spewing all this bullshit, questioning my plans for after high school... then he brought you up and said he thinks you might be the reason for my lack of motivation and impractical decisions." The words left a bad taste in Jake's mouth and he knew they made his boyfriend feel awful. He quickly tried to remedy the situation. "He's being such a dumbass lately."

He looked in the mirror and saw Drew staring down at his feet. He reached over and rubbed his leg. "Don't let it get you down. I told him off. He doesn't know you and he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about."

Drew picked his head up. He tried to put on a strong front for Jake and not let him know what Glen said about him bothered him as much as it did. He'd been trying to be a stronger person. "I'm fine."

Jake glanced at Drew and smiled, but he wasn't sure of how convincing he was. "I think Helen's been getting to him. He's not usually like this." There was noticeable agitation in his voice when his step-mom's name came up.

Drew smirked. He wasn't too fond of the woman himself. She always seemed to hold some sort of disdain for him, even though she barely knew him. Perhaps she heard things from Clare about him. He knew he wouldn't be winning any popularity contests with the likes of Helen Martin if she was aware of how he was in school.

"Not too pleased with her either?"

Jake grimaced. "I mean.." He sighs in frustration. "I dunno. Sometimes she's alright, but she treats me like I'm a kid. It's like she thinks I'm the same age I was the last time I saw her and Clare on a regular basis. Guess she hasn't noticed I've grown at least three feet since then."

"Is she like that with Clare too?"

"Yeah, even with Darcy. She must not realize kids grow up or some shit. Now it's rubbing off on my dad and I don't like it."

"Six more months, Jake."

"Hmm?"

"Six more months until you graduate. Then you're free."

Jake grinned. "I can't wait."

"I've been saving up money. I figure I'll have enough by July for us to get our own place. It might not be the best living establishment that Toronto has to offer, but it'll be a starting point."

"It _will_ be the best living establishment Toronto has to offer." Jake asserted, raising a finger and glancing at Drew in the mirror. "You'll be there, after all."

Drew laughed. "You're so corny."

Jake snorted. "You love it."

"Well, duh!"

Jake reached over and held Drew's hand and caressed it with his thumb. Drew looked down at their conjoined hands and back up at Jake. "Thanks for sticking up for me. It means a lot."

Jake smiled warmly. "No problem."

* * *

Jake took in another long, deep drag of his joint and leaned his head against the back of the couch. His long legs stretched out in front of him in awkward directions. Drew laid across the couch with his head laying in Jake's lap. He stared at the other boy and watched as smoke slowly slithered out of his mouth and he closed his eyes.

"Needed this so bad." Jake whispered. He lifted his head and looked down at Drew. "Thanks for coming out here with me tonight."

"Don't mention it. Where else would I be?" Drew propped himself up and kissed Jake.

Jake slid himself and Drew down to the floor in front of the couch and repositioned himself so Drew was sitting between his arched legs. He wrapped the shorter boy in his arms and leaned his head against the back of his neck.

Drew leaned back against Jake and admired what it felt like to be engulfed by his embrace, how sweet even the simplest of things felt in that moment, like listening and feeling him breathe while he held him, the way his eyelashes were tickling his neck as they fluttered against it, or the way his hands felt as they pressed against his chest and waist. The fact that someone like this existed and he was lucky enough to be loved by him was the most amazing thing in the world.

"I love you more than anything. You know that, don't you?"

Jake stirred and lifted his head from the back of Drew's neck, taking in a deep breath. Drew wondered if Jake fell asleep against him. "Of course I do. I feel the exact same way about you."

"That makes me feel like the luckiest man in the world." Drew admitted.

Jake runs his hands along Drew's arms and slides them under the sleeves of his t-shirt, against his biceps and up to his shoulders. Drew hums as the sensation soothes him.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen and you're the best friend I've ever had." Jake whispers as he presses heated kisses against Drew's neck which sends shivers down his spine. "So, can you imagine how lucky I must feel too?"

Drew gasped as Jake's touch continued to mesmerize him. The feeling of his hot breath against the back of his neck was intoxicating. He pushed himself out of his grasp briefly and turned himself around, reaching for the buttons of Jake's plaid shirt. He carefully unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside before pulling the white undershirt over Jake's head and doing the same with it.

He leaned in and began kissing against the smooth skin of Jake's broad chest. Jake moaned and leaned back against the couch. He lazily rested his arms around Drew's back as he continued to kiss up his chest.

The lean muscle of Jake's chest left Drew's lips tingling and made him hard. He ran his tongue against Jake's nipple and sucked on it a couple times, eliciting a pleased groan from Jake. Jake's fingers found their way to Drew's soft raven hair and combed through it while Drew's lips traveled closer to this neck.

Drew could tell from the other man's quickened breathing that he was getting excited. He licked along his shoulder and up his neck, savoring the taste of his skin. His eyes homed in on Jake's. They were glossy and full of lust. As soon as eye contact was made, Jake raised his lips to Drew's and he slithered his tongue into the other's mouth

Jake noticed how Drew's saliva always tasted sweet. He didn't know if it was something that was just in his imagination or not. His lips curled up as his tongue danced with Drew's, massaging every inch of it. His hands reached up and cupped Drew's face, steadying it. Like he couldn't get enough of Drew and he wanted more.

Drew was now sitting in Jake's lap, his legs crossed around the taller man's waist and chests pressed tightly together. Their ever-hardening erections involuntarily grinded against each other.

Their lips parted for a moment so they could catch their breath. They panted heavily against each other, their eyes unwilling to break contact.

Drew raised his eyebrows to convey an unspoken question. Jake picked up on it immediately and nodded eagerly. An almost too serious look adorned his face, but that only served to express how badly he wanted it.

Jake reached down and quickly unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants, revealing his boner standing at attention and somewhat soaked in pre-cum. The sight of it made Drew ache in anticipation. Before he had a chance to pull down his pants, he felt a foreign pair of hands doing the work for him. He appreciated Jake's overachieving attitude in this area. He felt himself grow harder against Jake's aggressive touch.

Jake admired Drew's throbbing boner with a devilish grin before turning his attention to Drew himself and whispering, "Show me that ass."

He turned himself around and leaned back against Jake while he positioned himself at Drew's entrance. Drew grunted and sighed as Jake pushed himself inside.

Drew shuddered at how excellent Jake felt inside of him. They had sex several times already and the feeling never got old. Jake placed his hands on Drew's hips and began sliding himself in and out.

Jake's eyes rolled back; he wondered how long he could possibly hold out. He'd only just started and already he felt like he was going to climax. It had been a while since the last time he masturbated and even longer since he and Drew had sex, add in the amount of tension that had been building up lately and you have a very sexually frustrated Jake. It didn't help matters that it felt amazing to be inside Drew right now.

"Unhh.. god, I needed this so bad.." Jake groaned as he pounded Drew.

"I.. can tell. You're giving it to me pretty rough back there." Drew panted out between gasps. Jake slowed down his pace after hearing that.

"Too rough?" He asked cautiously.

"No.. god no!" Drew laughed, "I love it! Keep going!" He gave a thumbs up and Jake grinned and resumed his pace.

Drew bit his lip and gulped down some saliva as Jake thrusted into him. He felt like he was on cloud nine with the way Jake was nailing him. His moans became louder and deeper the closer he was getting to his prostate and he knew he was being teased.

Jake loved making Drew groan. Listening to his moaning and grunting seemed to turn him on like nothing else could. Most of all, he knew the best ways to make it happen.

Drew glanced down at his boner which was pounding and begging to be tended to. He wondered if Jake forgot about it. He moved his hand to begin pumping it when Jake stopped him. "Wait a minute. I wanna try something." Drew turned and gave him a questioning look.

"I'm gonna see if I can get you off a different way." Jake stated cryptically with a wink. "Ready?"

Jake thrusted deeply into Drew's prostate and at such an angle that Drew let out a very satisfying groan. He doubled over in extreme pleasure, unable to speak coherently. Jake proceeded to strike the area in ways he hadn't before; at different angles, massaging against and around it. It wasn't long before Drew's pleasured moans became more drastic.

"Oh fucking.. GOD!" He breathed out dramatically as he came everywhere. His body shuddered at the erotic sensation of getting off without making any sort of contact with his cock.

The sight was enough to send Jake over the edge and he quickly finished off with a few quick, hard thrusts until he finally erupted inside Drew, causing the other man to react positively to that as well.

"Oh man.. fuck.. fuck!" He hissed as his dick shot out every ounce of cum that had built up inside of him into Drew.

They fell back into an exhausted pile, completely depleted of the energy and strength required to hold themselves up any longer. No talking, no laughing. Just heavy breathing and huddling against each other.

Jake was so wiped out afterwards that he couldn't seem to keep himself awake, so Drew helped him into bed and he fell asleep instantly. He wondered if it was only the sex that drained him. After all, he was pretty upset over that fight he had with his dad.

Drew sat in the living room and contemplated everything going on lately; him and Jake, all the things Jake's dad and step-mom think about him, where they're going to live once Jake graduates, if Jake will reconcile with his father and if he'll still want to work with him.

He walked back into the bedroom and leaned against the open door, watching Jake sleep. He wondered how the man could be the badass who punches out jerks who dare disrespect those he cares about and knows all the best ways to torture someone during sex and at the same time look so adorably innocent and vulnerable while he sleeps.

He immediately noticed some exposed skin of his waist showing. It reminded him of how much he loves touching Jake, feeling him. Not even necessarily in a sexual way, but in a loving way and in a way to remind him that he's really there and always will be.

_My god, I love him so much._ Drew thought as he watched him. The thought made his head swirl. He didn't think such a feeling even existed. It scared him, but not in a way that would make him run. Not like the other things he's felt that gave him the urge to take off. This feeling made him want to stay more than anything.

_This boy right here, he's mine. And... he actually considers me his as well._ He said to himself, _I don't know what I've done to deserve someone so amazing. Do I even really deserve him? Maybe he's meant for someone else. Maybe it's a mix-up._ Drew shook his head, waving away the negative thoughts.

_No, I'm not going to question it. I have no right to. For one reason or another, Jake is in my life and I'm lucky enough to have his love. I refuse to ever do anything to fuck that up. _

Drew felt a tug at his heart strings as he watched Jake. He didn't exactly know why. Maybe it was because he kind of wished Jake was awake now so they could spend more time together. He shrugged it off and climbed into bed next to him, sliding his arms around Jake's form and spooning him like he was a giant teddy bear. He nuzzled his face against the back of Jake's neck, taking in the comforting scent of his silky dark hair.

_And I sure as hell won't let him regret his decision to allow me to be a part of his life._

* * *

The work days seemed to drag on longer the more Drew fell in love with Jake. He knew it was the universe's way of annoying him. Coincidentally, those thoughts of Jake were what made those long days at work a lot more bearable.

"Another day complete." Drew sighed as he entered the employee parking lot of the closing mall. He couldn't wait to go home, change his clothes and just relax for the rest of the evening. He was halfway to where he parked his car when something caught his attention; his car was nowhere to be found.

He felt a sharp spike in panic for a minute as he frantically glanced around the parking lot. Had he parked it somewhere different today and absent-mindedly forgot to make a mental note of it? His mind had been buzzing with other things lately. What if it was stolen?

Before his imagination had a chance to run away from him, he spotted his car in a remote, isolated area of the parking lot.

"The fuck? I don't remember parking over there." He said out loud and shrugged as he ran over to it. He thought it might have been some kind of prank pulled off by some annoying sophomores or something. He didn't really care how or why it got there right now. That was something to ponder after getting home.

"Hey, old friend!"

Drew nearly jumped out of his skin as the unexpected voice came from the shadows surrounding his vehicle.

"Long time no see, buddy!" The source of the voice made their presence known a second before slamming his fist into Drew's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and dropping him to his knees.

Drew clutched his aching gut, desperately gasping for air when the man grabbed him by his hair and pulled it back to force him to look up. "Remember me?"

* * *

Jake's attention was stolen from his homework by his phone ringing. He set his pencil down and grabbed his phone to see who was calling.

"Hey, Fiona." Jake greeted, "What's up?"

"Jake! You need to come down to the hospital right away." Fiona's voice sounded urgent and grim.

Jake's heart sank and a frigid chill shot down his spine. He couldn't bring himself to speak. He immediately knew something was wrong. He didn't want to hear what he feared Fiona would say next.

"It's about Drew."


	7. Enough

He was drunk when he met him, but he instantly remembered who he was. This was the guy from the bar, the one who harrassed him and got decked by Jake. Unfortunately for Drew, the guy brought his friends along for the fun.

"Where's your little boyfriend? Is he at home cooking dinner for you? Too busy doing housework to protect you?"

"Get the fuck away from me." Drew growled as he attempted to stand up.

The man snickered, "Not a chance, bitch."

One of the other guys launched his foot into Drew's side, knocking him back down. It felt like he just took a blow from a cannon ball. He wondered if the guy purposely made his friend with the biggest feet and steel-toe boots the designated kicker of the team.

"Not so tough now are you, big guy?" He asked tauntingly.

Drew was speechless. He was too rattled with pain and fear to do much talking or think about anything other than how he's going to survive this and how badly he needed Jake's help right now.

"I fucking hate little high school faggots like you. Ya think you're top shit, when ya ain't shit at all." The guy took a swing at Drew while he was down.

Drew hissed in pain, but he still felt the urge to snark at him. "Bet my boyfriend's punch hurt worse than that."

"You smug little cock sucker." He unleashed a series of unrelenting kicks on Drew that landed on his arms, legs and torso.

Another guy grabbed Drew and brought him to his feet just so he could punch him square in the face and send him back down again. Once he landed, he was surrounded by all the guys who hit him with everything they got.

Drew attempted to shield himself from their blows as much as he could. They tenaciously forced him into more vulnerable positions to inflict as much pain as they could.

He was grabbed, shoved, had his face slammed into his car. All he could think about the entire time was how he desperately wished he could just be with Jake right now. How he could travel back to that moment where he was watching Jake sleep. That peaceful, blissful moment. He had flashbacks of when Vince's gang nearly killed him. From both of those thoughts, he wondered how in the hell he ended up here again.

He prayed that he'd be able to get out of this one again. He prayed so hard that he'd be able to see Jake again. He promised he'd never leave him, not for any reason. He never wanted to be away from him ever again.

A bright light flashed on them, bathing them in the obnoxious illumination.

"Shit! Let's get the fuck out of here!" One of them shouted and immediately took off into darkness.

"Come on, Tim, let's go!" Another one shouted.

Drew looked up to see the last one still there was that guy he recognized from the bar. So, his name was Tim. He was finally able to see his face in full light. It revealed a nasty bruise covering most of his face. The sight made Drew smile.

"My boyfriend destroyed your face, you piece of shit." He hoarsely stated, his voice too quiet for Tim to hear him as he was already fleeing the scene. "Once he finds out about this, he's going to fucking kill you."

He spat out some blood on the concrete next to him and noticed the lights were moving in a different direction. Apparently the person in the car the lights belonged to didn't notice what was going on.

Drew scoffed, "Good thing those assholes scare easily."

He took this as his cue to get out of there before they decided to be bold and come back. He picked himself off the ground, struggling and groaning along the way. He was surprised that he wasn't in as much pain he thought he'd be. He made his way to the driver's seat, making sure his wallet and everything was still on him. He figured they intended on taking that from him had their beatdown session not been rudely interrupted.

He drove himself, paying careful attention to the road. He was still feeling very much dazed from what just happened.

* * *

Jake felt a frigid chill wash over his entire body the instant he heard those words over the phone. He felt like he was going to be sick or even drop dead on the spot since he swore his heart stopped beating.

He almost hung up on Fiona without saying anything, but decided there was no need to cause anymore worry to circulate. "I'm on my way."

His jacket was barely on his back when he reached for the door handle to let himself out.

"Where are you going?" A voice came from behind Jake and stopped him in his tracks.

Jake rolled his eyes impatiently, still annoyed with the way his dad has been acting, "Out."

"I don't think so, Jake. It's a school night and you need to study instead of hanging out with that delinquent, Drew."

Jake spun on his heel and shot Glen a seething glare, "Yeah, we're gonna get into a lot of trouble hanging out in the emergency room, dad!"

Glen looked puzzled and slightly horrified.

"My delinquent friend Drew is in the hospital for god knows what reason and I'm going to go see him. Is that okay with you?" Jake asked sarcastically, his eyes burning with tears and every venomous emotion in existence. He didn't wait for his father's approval before storming out of the house.

The drive to the hospital was a blur with Jake operating on autopilot, which was probably for the best. He wasn't in a suitable frame of mind to be able to drive safely on his own, especially with the roads slickened by the effects of winter.

Jake barely had the truck parked before he jumped out and dashed inside. The sounds of the world were drowned out by his own rapid pulse thudding in his ears and his raspy breathing whistling through the dryness of his mouth.

As soon as he walked in, he felt lost and disoriented. Was he even the right hospital? The thought briefly made a bad situation even worse. Fiona wasn't anywhere to be found. He stepped to the front desk and attempted to a form a coherent sentence.

"Um, I'm here to see Drew Torres." He asked the receptionist. His voice was awkward and uncertain. The receptionist began looking up where Drew was.

"Jake!" Fiona called from behind him. He was instantly relieved just to see a familiar face.

"Fiona!" They shared a quick, comforting embrace. "What's going on? Where's Drew? Is he okay?"

Fiona could feel Jake shaking like a leaf. "A bunch of guys jumped him after work in the mall parking lot."

"He was jumped!?" Jake ran a shaky hand up against his forehead and through his hair. "Oh my god. Where is he? I have to see him!"

Fiona grabbed his wrist, "They say they think he's going to be fine. No major injuries or anything were found. The lunatic even drove himself home afterwards."

"They _think!?_" Jake's eyes widened with paranoia.

"Hey, just relax. He's going to be fine!" Fiona squeezed his wrist assuringly.

"Who was it? Who did this to him?"

Fiona could tell Jake was scared out of his mind right now and she did everything she could to put his mind at ease. "I have no idea. I didn't get a chance to ask before I called an ambulance."

Jake's lips quivered, "What if he's not gonna be okay, though? He-he could've gotten an injury that isn't apparent, like a blow to the head. I've heard of people who get head injuries that they're not aware of and they die from them later on."

"Whoa! Jake, take it easy." Fiona forced him to sit down in a chair next to her and rubbed his shoulder. "You're getting way ahead of yourself. Drew's gonna be fine. He's tough and if there's anything wrong with him at all, those doctors will find out and are gonna give him the held he needs. Their offices are wallpapered with diplomas and awards and all of that other good stuff!"

Jake obscured his face with his hand, massaging his forehead as a stress headache built up and also to block Fiona's view of his eyes, which threatened to well up with tears out of pure concern for his boyfriend.

He gulped down hard and finally faced her. "Thanks, Fiona."

It honestly made Fiona ill to watch Jake fall to pieces like this, especially when he's used to being the designated pillar of strength and source of calming for everyone else in times of turmoil. She wouldn't dare fault him, though. Jake's human just like everyone else and his boyfriend was the one currently in the line of fire.

"Is anyone else coming?" He asked, taking in deep breaths to steady his nerves.

Fiona shook her head, "No, he refused to let me call his mom or anyone else. Not even Adam. I had a hard enough time getting him to agree to go to the hospital to begin with."

Jake nodded. "Well, I'm glad you got him to go. If I found out he didn't get checked out after being jumped, I might have to kick his ass myself."

His humor provoked a small smile from the both of them, but the mood quickly reverted to seriousness.

"Everything's going to be fine, Jake. Drew's not a quitter when it comes to things that really matter to him. You mean SO much to him; I've never seen him so happy. No matter what, he's going to be fine for you, if no one else."

A nurse entered the lobby and approached Fiona and Jake, "You may visit your friend now, miss."

"Thank you." Fiona nodded. She practically had to jog to catch up to Jake who was walking to the room as fast as his long legs could carry him.

"Umm, one at a time, please." The nurse called after them. Jake and Fiona stopped and looked at each other.

"You go first." Fiona gestured to the door. "I already saw him when I brought him here and you _need_ to see him."

Jake hugged Fiona and thanked her before hesitantly walked to the open door of the hospital room. As soon as he laid eyes on his battered boyfriend, he froze and stared at him in a mesmerized state.

"Jake!" Drew smiled bright when he walked in, but when Jake didn't respond, he looked hurt. "Jake?"

"Thank god you're alright." He swiftly walked over to Drew's bed and hugged him, trying not to hurt him in the process.

"Yeah, man, I'm fine!" Drew laughed lightly, returning the hug and kissing Jake on the cheek. "Doctors say I'm lucky I got away with as few bruises and breaks that I did."

Jake couldn't stand the mystery any longer. "What happened? Who did this?"

Drew stared at Jake, his lips thinning into a line. "It was those guys from the bar."

"The guys from the bar.." Jake's heart sank and he bowed his head.

"Hey," Drew reached out and gently laid his hand against Jake's face, "I'm alright. They took off like a bunch of cowards. A car came by and I guess they must've thought they were gonna get caught."

Jake looked up, "But what if that car didn't happen to swing by at that moment? Or any moment? Drew, they could've.." His eyebrows scrunched as he tried to hold himself together. "They could've killed you. And it would've been all my fault."

"What? How would it have been your fault?"

Jake stood up and rubbed his hands against his face rough enough to turn his skin a reddish-pink color, "Because if I hadn't hit the guy, they wouldn't have bothered you."

"Jake, come on. How were you to know this psycho was going to track me down and attack me? And besides that, you're not responsible for what this asshole does. He deserved to be decked in the face." Drew pleaded. "You were protecting me."

Jake had a hard time meeting Drew's gaze. He felt oddly undeserving of being able to touch him or even being in the same room as him right now. He swallowed hard and looked at him. "I'm so sorry."

He enveloped him in another hug, tighter this time. "I'm so glad you're alright. So, so glad."

"Me too." Drew rested his head against Jake's shoulder, breathing the smell of Jake's shirt deeply into his lungs. It brought him immense comfort, as he wasn't entirely sure that this was reality. A part of him feared that this was some sort of delusion from the beating he endured. That he didn't make it out of that fight with only a few minor injuries, that he wasn't really in the safety of his boyfriend's arms. It was only a few hours ago that he wasn't sure he'd ever get the chance to do it again.

"Are you really here?" Drew asked out loud, his eyes widened at the realization that the question didn't stay in his head.

Jake raised his head, "Huh?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it. These painkillers are fucking with my head." Drew sat up and seized Jake in another hug. He hoped Jake wouldn't question it. The ordeal shook him up a lot more than he was willing to admit. He didn't want to let Jake go. He felt as if the attackers wouldn't return as long as Jake held him.

Jake's mind was racing too much to think of anything to say. Guilt over setting the events in motion which led up to Drew being attacked, not being there for Drew in his time in need, how thankful he was that Drew was safe and alive and in his arms.

He held Drew tighter and rubbed his back. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said groggily against Jake's shoulder.

Jake let out a small laugh, "Sounds like those painkillers are really starting to kick in." He pulled himself away from Drew and noticed his drooping eyelids. "Looks like it too." Jake kissed Drew on the forehead.

"It's getting pretty late and Fiona wants to see you before visiting hours are over, so I better head home."

"Well, I'm not in terrible shape, so they're letting me out tomorrow. We should do something." Drew gave him a hopeful smile, which Jake struggled to return.

"Definitely! Have a good night. I love you." He leaned over and kissed Drew on the lips.

Drew returned the kiss. "I love you too. See you tomorrow." He waved as Jake left, but couldn't shake the feeling that something felt off about Jake.

"Hey! Everything alright?" Fiona asked, concerned with how Jake seemed to be bolting out of the hospital.

He turned around abruptly, "Yeah! Just a little shaken up seeing him like that, you know?"

"Yeah.." Fiona wasn't very convinced, "I don't blame you. You should probably get some rest. And if there's anything you need to talk about, you know I'm just a call away." Fiona stood on her tip-toes and gave Jake a comforting hug.

Jake nodded and returned Fiona's hug.

Fiona gave him a worried look as he exited the building a little too eagerly.

* * *

Jake immediately headed for the stairs as soon as he returned home, hoping no one would intercept him or bother him.

"Jake!" His dad called. Jake ignored him and continued climbing the stairs "Jake! Is Drew okay?" He asked with an unquestionable level of concern. Jake snorted.

"Suddenly you give a shit about him? What happened to you thinking he's a bad influence on me and you wanting me to cut him out of my life entirely?" He refused to face Glen, preferring to speak to the stairs ahead of him instead.

"Jake, I, uh.." Glen stammered. He was at a loss for words. What Jake was saying wasn't untrue, but it didn't mean he's not interested in the wellbeing of someone his son obviously cares about.

Jake turned his head, but still maintained focus on the staircase. "He's fine." He spoke in a way to avoid revealing the hitch in his voice. "Look, I don't wanna talk about it. I'm tired and I just wanna go to sleep."

Glen stared at Jake for a second and noticed his hand clenched tightly on the banister. "Yeah, you should get some rest, son."

Jake hesitated for a moment, "Thanks for asking about him." He headed up the stairs and closed the door to his room behind him.

As soon as the door closed, the total silence of his room felt like it was suffocating him. At the same time, he was in no mood to put on music or watch TV. He pulled himself out of his jacket and tossed it on the floor.

He collapsed headfirst onto his bed. The silence was beginning to drive him crazy and he could feel the onset of panic rising inside of him. He prayed that sleep would take him before that happened.

The sound of his heavy boots thudded against the floor as he kicked them off. He was desperate enough to consider smacking himself in the head with one of them to knock himself out.

An hour passed. Not a second of it was spent in peaceful sleep. Jake's heart continued to pound rapidly, the sound and feeling of the throbbing, like everything else, was refusing to leave him alone long enough for him to drift off.

Another hour gone by. By now he was desperately trying to will his mind to go somewhere else, but it would ultimately snap back to Drew in a few minutes.

He wondered if he should do something to tire himself out or bore himself into sleeping, but he wasn't in the mood to do anything.

"Just let me fucking get some sleep!" He pleaded to no one in particular.

His pillow was locked in his arms in an iron grip. If it were a person, all their bones would be as good as broken. All he could think about was Drew and what happened to him tonight. How the moment he turned his attention away from him, he wound up in trouble. How he wished he was holding onto Drew instead of just a pillow, breathing in the scent of his hair.

He wondered what would've happened if those guys had any less mercy on him and he immediately cursed at himself for allowing his mind to wander in that direction. His eyes widened in horror and his lips twisted. His heart was pounding so hard that he worried it would explode.

"I should've been there. I should've been there for him. This is all my fault." He whispered against his pillow. He scrunched his eyes shut tight the moment he felt a lump forming in his throat.

He internally begged himself not to start crying, even though it was futile. He was always scared that if he started crying he'd never stop.

A moment later tears were gushing from his eyes and his pillow was drowning out the sound of his sobs. His emotions were pouring out in unstoppable waves and all Jake could do was try to keep himself as quiet as possible. He hadn't cried so hard in years, not since he was a little kid.

The sobs shook his body and made him ache all over, especially his head. A painful, sick feeling grew in his stomach and seemed to quickly ascend. Jake tried to push the thought aside until it became too much to ignore.

The next thing he knew, he was in the bathroom vomiting up the contents of his stomach. He struggled to be as silent as possible. After he finished, he sat against the wall beside the toilet. He prayed that he didn't wake anybody up. He knew he looked like an utter mess and that he'd have some explaining to do.

He was soaked in sweat and his cheeks gleamed with tears that were slowly beginning to dry. His head was now throbbing in pain and his whole body was trembling. His stomach felt a lot better, save for a few spasms after the exertion it just went through. It took him a few minutes for his body to calm down and for his legs to feel strong enough to carry him back to his room.

He crept through the dark and, thankfully, vacant hall and returned to his room. He rested his head on his pillow, finally exhausted enough to slip into sleep.

That's when he realized he couldn't. Now wasn't the time to sleep, not when the guys who hurt Drew were allowed to roam freely and have fun while his boyfriend lay alone in a hospital room.

Jake sat up, a new resolve burning like a wildfire inside of him. "Those assholes. There's no way they're getting away with this."


End file.
